You Forgave, and I Won't Forget
by cgkm2099z
Summary: This begins in the aftermath of Basic Sandwich. I started writing this (a year ago!) when it became known that season 6 wouldn't begin until mid-March, and needed something to keep me busy. The title comes from the song "I Will Wait" by Mumford and Sons.
1. Chapter 1

"Annie, wait."

Jeff came to an abrupt halt to avoid running into her as she turned around.

She smiled up at him, "What's up?"

The sound of Dave Matthews was still drifting in from the cafeteria. Jeff glanced back quickly to where he had been talking to Shirley and Hickey. He had been making his way around the party, pointedly avoiding Annie. But as people slowly drifted away, he saw her start to head out and ran over on impulse. Now standing face to face with her, he didn't quite know what to say.

"Um, crazy day huh?"

Annie smirked. "On a scale from one to Greendale?"

Jeff huffed out a laugh. "So, um, congratulations. And sorry about earlier. I should've known that our best chance to save Greendale would be something insane."

Annie lowered her chin towards her shoulder and gave him a sly smile. "It's been five years, Jeff. You should know by now that normal rules don't apply here. But we never would've made it if you hadn't gotten the door open. What did you even do?"

Suddenly unable to meet her gaze, Jeff instead stared at his feet. _God, what am I, twelve?_ "Oh, you know, it wasn't that big of a deal." He shrugged, "I just thought about this place, and all you guys. I mean, I love you guys, and maybe I didn't realize how much I actually like this place."

"I knew you loved it here!" Annie was beaming, but he detected a slight 'I told you so' undercurrent as well.

Jeff raised a finger in admonition. "Don't. I said like, not love." Annie rolled her eyes, and he shifted uncomfortably before continuing, "But… I guess sometimes you don't realize how important some things are until you're about to lose them."

"Awww!" It never ceased to amaze Jeff how quickly she could shift to the Disney face, and just how many variations of it she had…

He scowled at her, "Yeah, well, don't go spreading that around."

Annie gave a slight nod before patting him on the arm. "Your secret's safe with me." With that, she started to turn away.

"Hey, Annie?"

She stopped and turned back, "Yeah?"

Jeff suddenly felt twelve again. "Uh, one more thing..." He fell silent, long enough that Annie started to glance around furtively. Finally Jeff continued, words rushing out a little faster than he intended, "Sorry all that stuff got dragged out earlier, you know, about me and Britta… getting married…"

Annie tensed, and her face went blank. "Oh. Why would you be sorry about that?"

Jeff hesitated, "Well, you know…" he shrugged, "Awkward…"

For a brief moment Annie looked thoughtful, then a determined look came over her. "Jeff, you don't think I actually care, do you?"

Jeff felt like someone had just punched him in the gut. His mouth hung open for a second before he stammered "No, no, I just… didn't want you to think I thought you cared." As soon as the words left his mouth, he had a strange feeling of déjà vu. He thought for a moment, then shook it off, realizing he must look like an idiot. But then he saw that Annie had a similar look on her face. "Uh, anyway, I guess maybe since we saved Greendale, we need to have one more meeting of the Save Greendale Committee to make it official."

Annie looked momentarily startled, then brightened. "You're right! I'll make an extra big star for this one, or maybe get some sort of special paper. Or glitter paint. Oooh! I could get it laminated!"

Jeff rolled his eyes and stifled a groan, "Yeah… um, good luck with all that."

Annie walked off muttering to herself about potential ideas for decorating the 'Save Greendale' star. Jeff watched her leave, and stood staring at the door after she had gone out. After a moment he realized he never told her the wedding was off. Crap.

"Your secret's safe with me."

Jeff jumped in surprise, and turned to see Abed standing behind him, head cocked to the side.

"Abed. What have I told you about sneaking up behind me and doing commentary?"

Abed took a step forward before continuing. "Sorry Jeff. But I'm not doing commentary this time. I was just letting you know. Your secret's safe with me."

Jeff furrowed his brow and frowned. "What secret?"

Abed looked at the door Annie had gone out, then back at Jeff. Dammit, did he have to notice _everything_?

"I don't know what you're talking about" he said flatly.

A glint appeared in Abed's eye, "I didn't say anything. You know Jeff, you really have perfected your role. Have you considered starting a business where you coach socially awkward men on how to woo women, while simultaneously ignoring your own happiness? I'm thinking 40% Will Smith from Hitch, 25% Ryan Gosling from Crazy Stupid Love, 20% Ryan Reynolds from The Change-Up, and 15% Megan Follows from Anne of Green Gables."

Jeff gaped at him. "Anne of Gr… What? No, I'm not…"

Abed barely noticed his objection. "We can play with the percentages if you like. Or maybe mix in some Bradley Cooper. But I'm telling you, my gut instincts on these things are usually right."

Jeff rubbed at the sudden pain in his forehead. "Abed. No."

Abed gave a disappointed sigh. "Fine. And I won't tell Annie that she's how you opened the door in Borchert's lab. But don't you think you should?"

Jeff froze. He stared at Abed for a moment before continuing slowly in a low voice, "I'm going to say this one last time. I don't know what you're talking about."

Undeterred, Abed kept right on in an annoyed tone, "You don't have to say it again, because I know that you do know what I'm talking about. After the door opened, I saw you looking at her. You turned away, but I still saw."

Jeff tried to swallow the lump that was rising in his throat, "I looked at all of you; she was just last in line."

"That may be true" Abed allowed, "But then why try to hide it like you did?" Abed gestured back towards the cafeteria. "Besides, I talked to Borchert. That's not how Raquel works. It's not a cumulative effect, she needs a blast of passion in one instant to for it to work. So if Annie was last, then that means it was because of her."

Jeff fixed Abed with a mischievous grin. "How do you know it wasn't because of you, and I just looked at her as a cover?"

Abed's tilted his head and his eyebrows raised, "That would be an amusing plot twist, and a good misdirect. I'd also have to reevaluate my opinion of Pierce's social acumen. But I don't think audiences would appreciate following the plot line of your unrequited love for me."

Jeff snorted, "Unrequited? You broke my heart, Abed."

Abed smiled, "Ok Jeff, you can keep playing your role. But it's been five years. Audiences want to see a resolution. And so does Annie. Even I know that she's not going to wait around for you forever." Abed turned and walked back into the cafeteria. As Abed entered, a slumped, shaggy figure shuffled out towards Jeff, sandals scraping along the linoleum floor. Jeff was surprised there wasn't an aura of stench surrounding Borchert given his appearance, but he had mentioned something about a shower down there…

Borchert shambled up to Jeff and stuck his face in close, squinting through his glasses, "Heeyyy. Jeff, right?" Borchert may have had a shower, but apparently no toothbrush. Or mouthwash. Jeff stepped back slightly and rubbed his face, crossing one arm under the other and leaving his hand to guard his nose.

"Hi… Borcher… Um, actually, what do I call you? Russell? Russ?"

Borchert scrunched his face up, snorted, wheezed, and then loudly cleared his throat. When he spoke, his nasally voice was still tinged with phlegm. "Well actually, you can call me boss! I was just talking to Dean Pelton about my role as vice-Dean. Greendale doesn't have a computer sciences department anymore, so until I can get one started again I'm going to be helping oversee some other departments, including law."

Jeff paled and looked into the cafeteria. He could see Dean Pelton dancing awkwardly with Garrett and Starburns. The Dean saw him looking, stopped, and winked. Jeff suddenly had the urge to go down and lock himself in with Raquel for good.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Annie sat hunched over in her car, forehead pressed against the top of the steering wheel. To say this day had been an emotional rollercoaster would be about the biggest understatement of the century. She had been frantic for days, and now she was just exhausted. This morning she had been desperate and hopeless, and Jeff's casual sarcasm had just been too much to handle. After running into Ritchie, Carl and the Subway rep, her despair had turned to anger. When they found the note from Greendale's first dean, she couldn't remember having ever been more excited. She had a brief flash of embarrassment as she remembered Jeff and Britta's horrified expressions as she, Abed and the Dean had danced around the study room.

By the time Shirley and Hickey had arrived with the campus blueprints, she had thought she was going to explode. Excitement switched to shock and horror as Duncan flew across the room and the wall caught fire. But that was nothing compared to the shock that came next. Jeff was yelling about things being over, half of her feeling like a schoolgirl being scolded, and half of her wanting to yell right back at him. The Dean had said something she couldn't remember when Jeff pulled Britta close.

"Britta and I are getting married."

The sheer absurdity of it was too much to bear. "What?!"

"Married? Well you're gonna need way more doves than this."

"What does this look like? An hour-long episode of The Office? There's pickaxing and electric zapping!"

Annie had started shaking her head convulsively. She could hardly wait for the Dean to finish speaking before she blurted: "Don't even acknowledge it. We are not acknowledging this. You guys are ridiculous together!"

"We're ridiculous? What do you call this?!"

"Secret trapdoor!" She could've kissed Abed right then.

"BOO-YAH!"

Annie allowed herself to slip further back into the memory. She had been excited to find the entrance to the old computer science department, but also glad for the distraction. As she had lowered herself into the darkness, her anticipation was growing again, but so was a pit in her stomach. As the group split up to search the lost section of Greendale, she watched Jeff and Britta head off together, squabbling over whose light was better. The pit in her stomach dropped, she couldn't breathe, and she felt a wave of tears coming. She somehow managed to make her way into an empty room before she completely lost it in front of everyone. _Why?_ Why was this happening to her? The unbidden tears started flowing, she shook her head, trying to clear it away. She shouldn't be crying. Why was she crying? Jeff and Britta made an awful couple, but they're her friends, if they had a chance to be happy together, then shouldn't she be happy for them? She hadn't had long to contemplate.

"Anything in there?" Annie turned to see Abed behind her.

She tried to collect herself before responding, "Just spider webs and…" her voice cracked, "beanbag chairs…" she waved her hand to ward off the light he was shining in her face.

"Oh don't cry. The importance of lumbar support hadn't been establish…"

_Huh?_ "It's not that!" Abed looked chastened. "It's just… even if we do save Greendale, which Greendale will we be saving? First Pierce dies, then Troy leaves, now people are…"

"Getting married?" Annie looked at Abed, eyes wet with tears. For someone who claimed not to understand emotions, he could be remarkably perceptive about them sometimes. Abed launched into a soliloquy about a Jeff/Britta TV pilot and the show they were all on, and somehow she had found herself actually feeling better by the end. And she only had to interrupt his developing once.

"Thank you, Abed."

"You're welcome." She smiled at him. "I have a girlfriend."

"What?"

Abed motioned between them, "You were about to start a kiss lean?"

On second thought, maybe he's not so good with emotions… "I was not!"

"Fine. Let's go find treasure."

Annie lifted her head from her steering wheel and smiled at the memory. Truth is, she had wanted to kiss him, but not like _that_. She thought back to the second paintball game, when they really _had_ kissed. It had been passionate, and for a while she had wondered if she had been missing something between them. If only he acted like Han Solo or Don Draper more often, then… then he wouldn't be Abed. She sighed and glanced at her steering wheel, then raised her hand to feel under her eyes. Her fingers came away wet. _Oh God, this again?_

Annie closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, concentrating on the rise and fall of her chest. Why was she crying? She knew the reason, she just didn't want to admit it. "Sometimes I wish I'd never met you, Jeff Winger" she whispered. Why was it so hard for her to get over him? It shouldn't be hard. He's gross. He's gross, he's self-centered, he's a jerk, he's old, he's a mess, he doesn't know what he wants or what's good for him, he's a jerk, he's a jerk, he's a jerk. But sometimes… sometimes he wasn't a jerk. Sometimes he wasn't self-centered. Sometimes he could be warm and caring. And he _was_ fun to hang out with, and sure he's lazy, but he's actually pretty smart, and he has this way of looking at her that makes her melt, and she knew he never looked at anyone else that way, and _god_ when he takes his shirt off…

Annie felt herself blushing and gave herself a shake. Nope. Can't go down that road, not again. Annie sighed. She thought she had been past this. Well, mostly. Sure, she still daydreamed once in a while, but she had only married Jeff twice this semester, which was a personal best since the fall of freshman year (that one had still been dominated by Zac and Troy). And all those imaginary weddings to Brent Underjaw did _not_ count. She just had never met him and needed to imagine what he looked like. It's not _her_ fault that Jeff has the closest physique to a pole-vaulter of all her male friends. Ugh. She still hadn't completely forgiven Abed for that one.

Her thoughts drifted back to Jeff. He had always said that marriage was stupid, sworn that he would never settle down. But he _had_ settled down a little, and she had always thought that if he ever decided to settle down in other ways, that maybe… But no. He was marrying Britta. And that meant that he would never… she forced down another wave of tears. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and shuddered. _Ok Edison, you can do this._ She thought back on what she had said in Borchert's lab. As her mind sifted through the words, a feeling of peace began to settle over her. She had to let Jeff want what he wants, and that's Britta, not her. In her mind's eye she saw Jeff sitting at the study room table, chair tilted back, slouched and staring at his phone. He looked up and smiled at her, and a warmth spread throughout her body. Until finally, he had to look away. "Goodbye" she whispered.

Annie wiped her eyes and glanced up at the window of her and Abed's apartment. It was dark, meaning she was the first one back. She reached over and grabbed her backpack, grumbling as the bag fell open, spilling its contents. She stuffed the traitorous items back into her bag, making a mental note to throw out those stupid PowerBall tickets (actually one of her more sane ideas for saving Greendale). She turned back to exit the car and…

Let out a bloodcurdling scream.

The momentary terror passed, and Abed's face, still squished against the glass of her driver's side window, was now definitely laughing. She kicked the door open, knocking him back. "Abed, I'm going to kill you!"

Abed was still laughing as he said "Ok, this is officially the best day of my life."

Annie glared at him. When he didn't stop laughing, she gave an indignant huff, stuck her chin in the air and stomped towards the building entrance. Abed followed her, still chuckling to himself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jeff was slouched in his usual position in front of Table Mk II. He thumbed through the apps on his phone, debating if he had time to start a game of Fruit Ninja or Bejeweled. Annie and Shirley were bustling about their side of the table, preparing for the final Save Greendale Committee meeting of the semester. Abed sat in his usual spot, scribbling furiously in a notebook. Jeff observed them for a moment, then went back to his phone, wondering when and why he had started showing up early for things. It had been so much easier when everyone else was waiting on _him_.

Duncan and Hickey entered the study room, each dropping heavily into their respective chairs. For some reason, Hickey didn't appear as surly as he usually did. But when Jeff caught a whiff of Duncan, he was pretty sure he knew why. "Hey buddy. Found a new drinking pal?"

Duncan rolled his head towards Jeff and puffed out a breath. Jeff was amazed there wasn't a haze that accompanied it. "Not that it is any your businesh, but yesh." Duncan raised his hand in a mock toast to Hickey, and much to Jeff's surprise, Hickey returned the gesture. "So Jeff. Are we on for the Liverpool game againsht Mancheshter Shitty?" Duncan paused for a moment, then giggled, "Shitty."

Jeff rolled his eyes and glowered at Duncan. "If you think you'll be sober by then."

Duncan nodded erratically before slurring "Shure. But no promishes about after the game. Be a good chap and remind me tomorrow though. I'm not going to remember thish."

Jeff noticed that Annie, Abed and Shirley had stopped what they were doing and were staring at Duncan. Abed seemed indifferent, but Annie and Shirley were displaying looks of obvious disapproval. Finally, Annie piped up "Professor Duncan, don't you have finals to grade? You shouldn't be getting drunk during school hours."

Jeff had a momentary flash of annoyance as he remembered the stack of papers that awaited him back at his desk. Duncan's head lolled towards Annie and he gave an indignant huff. "I'll have you know, Mish Edishon, that with you no longer in my clash, the shtudentsh actually appreshiate my progreshive method of teaching." He gave a satisfied nod, and lifted his feet up onto the table, knocking Annie's binder off in the process. The binder popped open, papers scattering across the floor, causing Annie to yelp in dismay.

Annie scurried under the table and began gathering the dispersed notes on to-do lists, committee agendas, meeting minutes, project roadmaps and various permits. Shirley gave Duncan a threatening look before finally kneeling to help Annie. Duncan, oblivious to the minor catastrophe he had just caused, began humming happily to himself. Jeff was in the midst of fighting an internal battle over whether he should also help, when Britta walked in. Jeff shifted uncomfortably as she plopped down in her seat. They had both been pretty casual about breaking off their imprudent engagement, but Jeff hadn't talked to her about it, and didn't really want to. There seemed to be an uneasy truce between them, which was fine by him. He figured eventually things would return to normal.

Duncan's eyes popped open, "Britta!" he exclaimed, dropping his feet to the floor again and pushing some papers out of Annie's reach. Britta gave him a withering look, but he continued, "I was wondering if you would do me the honor of allowing you to escort me to the St. George's Day gala at Snookers. And before you ask, yes, I will be dressed in tails." Jeff was momentarily amazed at Duncan's ability to become lucid so quickly.

Britta had the distinct look of a deer caught in the headlights. "Um," she swallowed, "I think I have a thing with…" She glanced around the table for help. Finding none, she finally shot Jeff a glare and finished, "with Jeff. Yeah. I have a thing with Jeff."

"With Jeff?" Duncan scoffed, "Come now, Britta. There's no need to be frightened." He lowered his voice to a mock whisper, "It's not a real dragon."

Britta scrunched her face in confusion. "Dragon?"

Duncan nodded. "Why else would you be reluctant to accompany a stylish gentleman such as myself? You don't really expect me to believe you'll be with Jeff, now that your wedding is canceled."

A loud thud sounded from the table, followed immediately by a groan. Shirley's voice wafted out from underneath, "Oh! Are you okay, pumpkin?"

Annie replied in a tremulous voice, "I'm… I'm fine. I just bumped my head." Annie extricated herself from under the table, clutching her binder in one hand, and rubbing the back of her head with the other. She gave Duncan a wary glance before placing her binder protectively on the counter behind her seat.

Duncan looked ready to launch back into his awkward attempt to pick up Britta when the Dean and Chang entered the room. Jeff seized the opportunity to avoid any more discomfort by announcing "Ooookay! Everyone is here, so let's call the fall/spring semester's final meeting of the Save Greendale Committee to order." Annie squeaked excitedly while Britta gave Jeff a grateful look.

Chang took his seat, while the Dean positioned himself between Jeff and Britta. "Excellent idea, Jeffrey." The Dean placed his hand on Jeff's shoulder. Jeff eyed it and sighed. This would need to be dealt with sooner rather than later.

Jeff banged the gavel declared "The meeting is now in session. Miss Edison has the floor."

Annie sprung from her chair looking like a kid on Christmas morning. Or Hanukkah morning. Did Hanukkah have mornings? Jeff wasn't sure. "Ok everyone!" Annie said in a singsong voice, "Only one item on the agenda for today, the actual saving of Greendale! Annnnnnnd…" Annie pulled out a pink cutout of a star with 'Save Greendale' written on it. Jeff was surprised to see that she had reneged on her plans to elaborately decorate it. Annie held up the star triumphantly, "Mission accomplished!" She turned and placed it reverently on the wall under 'Done.'

As the group clapped, Jeff watched as Annie took her seat. He gave her a lopsided grin and banged the gavel again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Annie sat on the study room couch, rubbing absent-mindedly at the sore spot on her head, and trying not to think too much about what had led to it. The lump had finally subsided, but she figured she'd probably end up with a bruise. At least her hair would cover it, if so. In her lap was a packet of information from the Greendale Police Department regarding her summer internship. It wasn't going to be glamorous by any stretch of the imagination, but at least it was a paid position. Money would still be tight, but she was confident she wouldn't need to get a second job. _Assuming Abed keeps paying his share._

Abed had spent the last week watching marathons of Armageddon, Deep Impact, Meteor, and Asteroid. She wasn't sure where this obsession with apocalyptic movies had come from, but he was supposed to be looking for a job. When she pressed him on it, he insisted that the job could wait. He was doing important research and needed to be prepared for every eventuality. _If he stops paying rent again, then he can just move back into that stupid blanket fort when I find a third roommate._ The Craigslist search had _not_ gone well so far. Annie shuddered as she remembered the day _Alan_, of all people, had shown up to their apartment:

"Alan!" she squeaked, "What are you _doing_ here?!"

Alan fixed her with a sleazy smile and sauntered in, even though she hadn't invited him. "Heeeey, look who it is. How are you doin', kitten?"

Annie was starting to panic. "Alan, _why_ are you here? You're not allowed to be here, you need to leave. I'm showing our apartment to a prospective roommate soon."

Alan leered at her. "From Craigslist right? That's me baby!"

"Wha… What?" Annie stammered, "No, no, the email said his name was Mike Oxbig." Annie gasped as the realization of what she had just said hit her.

Alan grinned, "It sure is baby. Now why don't you show me the rest of your place, and I'll show you what a good roomie I can be."

Fortunately Abed had picked that moment to emerge from his room, but it took the threat of calling Jeff to come over to finally get Alan out of their apartment. After that fiasco, Annie had briefly considered two things: trying to convince Rachel to move in herself, and a restraining order against Alan.

The sound of Shirley's voice pulled Annie from her reflection, "Bye Ann-iee. I have to pick up Jordan and Elijah from karate." Annie popped up and gave Shirley a quick hug goodbye, before settling back on the couch. She fingered the internship packet, debating whether to read through it for the sixth time. She decided to live dangerously and skip the extra review, since she had already memorized the date, time, building, room number, directions, and the name and badge number of the officer she was to meet with on her first day.

Shirley's departure had left Annie momentarily alone in the study room. Abed had left to pick up some things from the film department, and she was just waiting for him to get back so they could go home. Britta had bolted immediately after the meeting ended, claiming some kind of cat emergency. Though Annie suspected it was mainly to avoid having to attend Duncan's St. George's Day celebration, whatever that was. Jeff and the Dean had left to help Duncan and Hickey back to their respective offices so they could sleep off their intoxication. And Chang… Chang had left to do whatever it was that Chang did.

After his latest betrayal, even Annie hadn't wanted to let Chang back in the group. But Chang apparently hadn't been finished with unexpected betrayals. Instead of taking the job on the school board Carl had offered him, Chang had gone to a lawyer and given a deposition. Included in the deposition was testimony about how Carl and Ritchie had stolen millions of dollars from Borchert, and wrongfully, and with reckless disregard for their safety, imprisoned him, Annie, Jeff, Abed, Britta, and the Dean. He even went so far as to include information on what Carl and Ritchie had known about his own attempt at being a warlord. Chang had informed Carl and Ritchie that the deposition would stay private, so long as none of the wronged parties decided to press charges. And the wronged parties had informed them that charges would not be pressed so long as they left Greendale in peace. Chang had even returned Borchert's money to him, minus the cost of his rather shocking dental work.

Annie shook her head wonderingly. Troy and Abed were right, Chang _was_ like the Colin Farrell of people.

"Oh hey. Did everyone else leave?"

Annie looked up to see Jeff standing in the doorway. She was still feeling impulsive from her decision to not read the internship packet a sixth time, so she chirped "Nope! Everyone's still here. Come on in!"

Jeff rolled his eyes, but strolled into the room anyway. Annie eyed him as he went over to his seat at the table and pulled the chair out. He was about to sit down when it seemed to occur to him that they were on opposite sides of the room. He pushed the chair back in, and meandered over to the couch opposite Annie. He started to sit on the armrest, thought better of it, and finally plopped down on the cushions.

"Jeeeefff. Are you ok?"

Jeff flinched. "Huh? Oh. Yeah. Fine. Why?"

Annie frowned at him. "Weeellll, right now you're displaying what my criminology textbook defines as socially deviant behavior."

Jeff's eyes flicked towards her briefly, then down at his hands. He bobbed his head a few times, then said "Yeah… you're right. Sorry. I'm just out of it. I should probably get going. I have to finish grading final papers." His mind made up, he placed both hands on his knees and stood. "I'll see you later. We uh, we should get together soon. Have a non-lame party to celebrate saving Greendale."

He turned and walked towards the door. Annie's mind was racing. _Why is he acting like this? He hasn't been this weird since…_ something in her head clicked into place, _since he apologized after we saved Greendale._ Jeff was almost to the exit. Annie lurched off the couch, clutching her papers close to her chest as she blurted, "I'm sorry your engagement didn't work out!"

Jeff froze. He didn't turn around, but she could hear him say ruefully, "No you're not. You were right. Britta and I _are_ ridiculous together." He stood still for a moment, then walked out.

Annie stared at the empty doorway until she realized she was pressing her left wrist so tight to her chest that it was cutting off the circulation. She shook her hand to dispel the tingling sensation, then gathered up her things. Time to go find Abed. She needed to be somewhere else.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	2. Chapter 2

It was Thursday afternoon, a couple weeks later. Jeff was trying to enjoy his last bit of freedom before the summer semester started on Monday. He only had one class to teach though, and he figured the students at summer school would probably be even dumber than usual. Jeff sat on his couch, a magazine in one hand, and swirling a glass of scotch with his other. He flipped through a few car reviews while commercials droned on his TV. The Lexus was on its last legs, and it was time to look for a replacement. He was considering another Lexus, but also thought it might be time to try something different. He liked the Acura and Infiniti, and of course there was always Mercedes, BMW and Audi to consider. _Germans…_ he grumbled inwardly. But they _did_ know how to make cars… For the models he was considering, he didn't think he could afford a new one, but maybe if he leased instead of buying…

An Inspector Spacetime promo let him know that the commercial break was about to end. _They're onto another Inspector? Geez, this show just won't die._ He flipped the magazine closed and refocused his attention on the TV. The guys from Top Gear were driving GT cars across the Western US. _Now __**that's**__ a job._ Jeremy, Richard and James were each extolling the virtues of the cars they selected: the Lexus LFA, the Dodge SRT Viper, and Aston Martin Vanquish, respectively. It wasn't the best way to make a car-buying decision, but it was pretty damn funny. The Lexus alone was enough to make Jeff's mouth water. Or maybe that was the scotch. _If only…_

He was laughing hysterically as fighter planes strafed at the cars fleeing around a race track in the strangest game of laser tag Jeff had ever seen, when his phone buzzed. It was a text from Abed.

"Need your help. Can you come over?"

Jeff groaned. He briefly considered ignoring the message and telling Abed he had been out and had forgotten his phone, but decided there was no way Abed would believe that. He decided to test the waters first, and started typing, "kinda busy. is it an emer" His phone buzzed again.

"It's an emergency."

_Dammit._ Jeff erased what he'd been typing and replied "b over soon" He gave a remorseful look at the TV before turning it off and grabbing his keys.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Abed, this is _not_ an emergency." Jeff grunted as he lifted his end of the chalkboard. Normally one of these wouldn't be so heavy, but this one was set on a swivel amidst a large wooden frame and stand. They started up the stairs, but Abed was going up first, so Jeff was bearing most of the weight.

"It's the second-to-last day of the contest, Jeff. _Unnhhh_ I've worked out the probabilities, and I can't guarantee a high enough likelihood of success by myself. Ok, turn it a little to your left."

Jeff wanted to argue, but the weight of the board was a more immediate concern. He began to maneuver to his left, but quickly realized it made the situation worse. "I think you meant to the right." Abed paused and began mouthing the Pledge of Allegiance, dropping more of the weight on Jeff in the process. "Ab… Abed! Lift it! Just go. If you have to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at every turn, you won't have to worry about trying to cut my arm off anymore, because they're both going to fall off." Jeff took it upon himself to direct things the rest of the way up. By the time they reached the third floor, they were both gasping for breath. They set the monstrosity down at the top of the steps, glad for the brief respite.

"Ok" Abed puffed, "As I was saying, I tried on my own the last three days. But there are too many variables. My odds of success are only 12.4% working on my own. With the rest of you helping, I calculate the probability at 59.3% as long as you all follow my instructions. Between today and tomorrow, that puts our chances of success at almost 87%."

Jeff leaned against the frame of the board and gave him a skeptical look. "It's a radio call-in contest. There's no formula to it."

Abed shook his head and muttered something under his breath. Jeff couldn't make out most of it, but was pretty sure he heard the word 'neurotypicals.' "Leave the details to me." Abed went on, "Just follow my instructions and everything should work."

Something Abed had said finally clicked in Jeff's mind, "Wait, so if this doesn't work today, you think we're all going to come back again tomorrow?"

Abed looked as if the idea of not trying again the next day had never occurred to him. "Of course. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the set of the new Inspector Spacetime _and_ get all-access passes to the next Inspecticon." Abed shrugged. "Why wouldn't we try again?"

Jeff rolled his eyes. "Because this is stupid. You're lucky I haven't left already."

Abed visibly deflated. "I don't think you appreciate just how much work I've put into this, Jeff. My presentation will go into more detail. Besides, you're my friend, and you know how much this means to me. Don't you want to help me?"

Jeff felt a flash of guilt. "Fine," he groused, "but you owe me."

"Oh don't worry," Abed perked up, "I'm keeping some choice roles open for everyone in my next film."

"That's _not_ what I had him mind. Alright, let's get this thing into your apartment. Where did you get this piece of crap, anyway?"

"I borrowed it from Greendale." Jeff rolled his eyes again. _Of course._

They hefted the board the rest of the way into Abed's apartment. Shirley waved from the kitchen, clearly busy with baking something for the group. Jeff dropped heavily onto the couch while Abed began drawing number tables and figures on the chalkboard. Jeff was in the process of pulling his phone out of his pocket when he heard the toilet flush and the bathroom door open. A moment later, Chang appeared. He saw Jeff on the couch and sat down next to him.

"Hey Winger."

"Chang."

Chang lowered his voice to a whisper, "Hey, it's ok to flush hard boiled eggs, right?"

Jeff did a quick facepalm before announcing, "I'm getting a drink." Jeff made his way towards the kitchen, leaving Chang muttering indignantly on the couch.

"He-lloooo!" Shirley twittered as Jeff pulled the refrigerator open. Jeff grunted a greeting as he scanned the mostly empty fridge. Water, almond milk and a few cans of diet soda appeared to be his only options.

"Hey Shirley, what's in this brown bag?"

Shirley gave an exasperated sigh. "Chang brought that. I don't want to know."

Jeff peeked in the bag. His hopes rose when he saw what looked like beer bottles, but when he pulled one out, it was covered in Chinese symbols. "What the heck is this?"

Shirley shook her head doubtfully. "You're on your own."

Jeff decided to try his luck. _If it's got alcohol in it, that's good enough for me._ He used the countertop to pop the cap off the bottle, giving Shirley a wink in the process. Shirley giggled before turning her attention back to her baking. Jeff sniffed at the bottle, then took a swig. It wasn't what he was used to, but it was definitely some kind of beer. He downed another swallow and decided he actually liked it.

Jeff returned to his spot on the couch. Feeling more sympathetic towards Chang due to the beer, Jeff said, "This is pretty good, Chang. And the answer to your question is no."

Chang's expression changed quickly from exultant to panicked. He cleared his throat and got up from the couch. "Excuse me."

As Chang rushed back into the bathroom, the apartment door opened admitting Britta and the Dean. "Hey guys!" Britta said cheerily and the Dean waved in greeting.

"Hey Brit-oh-my-God," Jeff snickered, "are you wearing _jorts_?"

Britta glanced down quickly at her attire, then glared at Jeff. "Shut it, Ed Hardy."

Jeff stifled a laugh, but grinned at her nonetheless. It wouldn't do to let her know she had won this round. Britta flounced into the kitchen to talk to Shirley. _Well at least that's getting back to normal._ The Dean walked over to the couch and sat down delicately next to Jeff. He inclined his head slightly and said, "Hello, Jeffrey."

Jeff eyed the Dean warily. "Uh, I think Chang is sitting there."

The Dean smiled and looked up at the ceiling. "Oh Jeffrey." He leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, "Don't worry, Abed told me all about how you've been" he made air quotes, "having trouble… admitting your feelings for a certain… special… someone..." Abed was still writing feverishly on the chalkboard. Jeff's gaze threatened to bore a hole in the back of his head as the Dean continued, "He wanted me to help him set up a ruse to force you into revealing everything. I told him I'd help, but I'd rather conspire with you!"

_Et tu, Abed?_ Jeff silently thanked the Dean for never having learned how conspiracies work. He whispered back, "Thank you, Craig. We'll figure this out later."

The Dean smiled happily and slid over to the far end of the couch where he began dramatically checking his watch and yawning. "Well, Abed," he began, in an overly exasperated tone, "are we going to start soon? Jeffrey and I have been sitting here patiently and _not talking_ for quite a while now." He looked over at Jeff and gave an exaggerated wink. Jeff stared back in disbelief, making a mental note to _never_ rely on the Dean's acting skills.

Abed, however, seemed too focused on his task to notice. "I'm almost done." He raised his voice to reach the other rooms, "Can everyone please take their places?"

Shirley and Britta emerged from the kitchen a moment later, each carrying a plate of pita nachos. They each took one of the recliners on either end of the couch and set the plates on the coffee table. Five sets of hands immediately darted in to grab some. "Oh my God, Shirley," Britta said through a mouthful of pita, "these are _sooo_ good!"

Abed and Jeff hummed agreement, while Shirley clapped her hands together excitedly. "Oh, yay!" Then she froze. "Oh…"

Jeff looked up to see that Chang had returned from the bathroom. "I had an… issue." Chang's shirt and most of his pants were soaked with water. Abed's eyes widened, and he went off in search of a towel. Jeff shook his head and returned his attention to the nachos. He had finished half the plate and gone back for another beer before Chang was dry enough to resume his spot on the couch.

Once everyone was situated, Abed positioned himself by the chalkboard and began. "Ok, everyone. Thank you for coming. Unfortunately, Annie can't join us because _apparently_ internships don't offer vacation time, and I would know that if I had ever applied for one instead of watching TV and movies all the time." Jeff laughed silently to himself as he imagined Annie berating Abed. He had wondered if she would be here, but hadn't wanted to be too obvious in asking. "As you know, to celebrate the launch of the new reboot of Inspector Spacetime, the network is giving away trips to five people in each of the cities ranked in the top ten worldwide for Inspector Spacetime fandom." Abed went on to explain something about using botnets to ensure Greendale was ranked #1 in the world. Jeff didn't know what it meant, but he gave up hope of ever getting control of his Netflix account back.

As Abed droned on about his elaborate setup, Jeff's thoughts drifted to Annie. He'd seen her a handful of times since that horrible episode in the study room, which fortunately hadn't convinced her that he was a serial killer or a stalker. He'd managed not to make an ass out of himself again, but they'd always been in a group setting. _All I have to do is never be alone with her again. Great. Problem solved._ And now it seemed Abed was hatching some scheme to get him to… what? Confess his love for her in front of a Divorced Women's Group and tell her how she completes him? Jeff kept his expression blank, but inwardly he was seething at Abed. _He's still trying to control all of us._ Well this was one movie trope Abed wouldn't be living vicariously through him. _Why does he care anyway? So I opened a stupid door by looking at her, what does that even mean?_ Borchert had said something about a blast of human passion. Well, duh-doy, Annie's hot. And Jeff had no problem admitting she was important to him, but that didn't mean he was in _love_ with her.

Abed was still explaining his master plan. "I was hoping for an online contest, but I knew a call-in was more likely given the Inspector's method of transportation. So I developed some theories on..." He was _not_ in love with Annie. He wasn't. The more he thought about it, the more humorous the idea was. Him, in love with Annie. Right. She was ridiculous. With all her stuffed animals, her Awww's, her Zac Efron obsession… _I'm not some Disney prince that's going to ride in on a horse and carry her away._ An image of himself sitting on a horse, sword raised high in the air, popped into Jeff's head. _Damn, I would look good though…_ Jeff gave himself a mental slap in the face. Abed was gesturing at some numbers written on the board. "…1.5 seconds to clear the line. The average redial speed for a cell phone is…"

Besides, Annie made him _do_ things. All he wanted, all he _needed_, to do was eat, sleep, work out, drink scotch, and be awesome. He didn't need someone hanging around, filling his head with ideas about helping others, doing the right thing, making the world a better place… "There's a five second time delay between the studio and the broadcast…" Ok, so, maybe he didn't totally believe in the whole 'not caring' thing anymore. But that didn't mean he wanted someone telling him what to do all the time. Just last week for their private 'Save Greendale' barbeque, she had told him to… no wait, he had volunteered for that. But the party itself, she had insisted on… no… it had been his idea. "…after the announcement, they'll clear all the lines, we need to fill them immediately so we can start the proper…" Well, whatever. He knew there were examples.

Jeff glanced over at Britta, who was listening intently to Abed, chin propped on her hand. He still couldn't believe he had asked her to marry him. _God, what was I thinking?_ Truth be told, he _hadn't_ been thinking. He hadn't been thinking much at all recently. And he was pretty sure he knew when it had started too. People had been screaming…

"Annie! Did Duncan get cracked?"

He could hear her somewhere in the haze. "Where's the bandit? Do you see him?"

A movement down the hall caught his eye. "Over there!"

Annie appeared out of the crowd. "C'mon! Let's get him!"

They raced around the corner and skidded to a halt in front of Shirley. "Shirley, what are you doing?"

Shirley looked up at him, eyes glistening. "Looking for you."

Jeff and Annie exchanged a wary glance before Annie asked suspiciously, "Did you see someone come this way?"

Shirley's voice rose higher. "Jeff, Annie," she seemed about to cry, then she said it, "Pierce is dead."

The next hour or so had been a blur of hugs and sniffles. Abed was the only one besides Jeff who didn't cry, but even he had looked like he wanted to. The group needed him, so Jeff had been strong. He hugged, he patted, he comforted, he reassured, even though he didn't feel like it. And he didn't cry. The crying came later. Pierce may have been a doddering old fool, but he was _his_ doddering old fool. He'd never admit it to anyone, but despite their many clashes, or maybe because of them, there was a brief time where Jeff had thought of Pierce almost like a father. An insufferable, racist, sexist, homophobic father, but these are the sorts of things you found at Greendale. Despite his many faults, Pierce was the only one in the group Jeff had ever been able to cry in front of and not feel ashamed. So Jeff had cried, but did it alone.

He'd barely had time to process anything before Pierce had posthumously dragged them all through another emotional shredder. And before he knew it, they were fighting for survival amidst a post-apocalyptic Greendale in an effort to cope with Troy's impending departure. Fortunately Britta had focused her psychoanalytical "powers" on Abed, though. If she had stopped to really look at things, she would have seen that Abed wasn't the only one trying to delay Troy's voyage. But Troy was determined to prove himself, and collect Pierce's cash, and the inevitable finally happened. And just like that, Jeff's family got smaller again.

After Troy left, Jeff had started feeling a constant weight. A pressure that often manifested itself with a tightness in his chest. He started thinking more and more about his time after graduation, when he had failed as a lawyer, but more importantly, failed as a friend. It had started out innocently enough. He had just been busy getting his business off the ground, and the others still had classes to attend. They had hung out a few times, but gradually the gatherings became less frequent. After Annie, Shirley, Abed and Troy had graduated (and Britta dropped out), they became almost non-existent. The gang still invited him out now again, but he always made excuses. He didn't want to have to answer excited questions about how his business was doing and if the super-lawyer was ready to conquer the world. Eventually, the phone stopped buzzing.

Who knew that having Alan walk into his office that day was the best thing that could've happened to him? It took him a while to warm up to the idea of teaching, but he had no such reservations about being around the study group again (minus the banned Pierce). But just when he felt like he had regained his family, he had started losing them again, one by one. And the question he couldn't keep from rolling around his head was: who was next?

That question was dominating his thoughts when his birthday rolled around, and as it turned out, the answer was almost him. The scotch had been easy enough to start with. It was top shelf stuff; Pierce hadn't been exaggerating. He was already drunk when he finally had the courage to start downing the pills. But between them and some more scotch, he had lost track of how many he had taken, and how many he was supposed to take. He had some hazy memories of trying to pour out the last of the bottle, and then the next thing he knew he was defending the Taj Mahal from Cobra.

He had never asked the doctors how close he had been to death. He didn't want to know. If Hickey hadn't come back to the office to get some of his drawings… Jeff didn't want to think about what might have happened. When he awoke in the hospital, surrounded by his friends, he realized how foolish he had been. He had been so worried about his own situation, he hadn't thought about what it might be like for _them_ to lose _him_. He felt a flash of anguish as he remembered the look on Annie's face. _Well I won't be making that mistake again. Can't deprive the world of my brand of awesomeness before its time._ The silver lining to the whole episode was that the outpouring of love and support from his friends had made the constant tension go away. For the first time in months, he had been able to truly relax.

But it hadn't lasted long. Abed had been right. The fleeting calm had only been a precursor to another storm. In the grandest of ironies, their efforts to save the school had led to its demise. All the weight, all the pressure, had come rushing back. Subway had offered him a job, but it didn't matter. Even if he stayed, none of the others would. It would be like graduation all over again.

When he had walked into the study room, he hadn't been sure what he was hoping to find, but he was looking for something, someone, to latch onto. And he found Britta. But after everything that had happened, looking back on it he knew that she wasn't the one he'd hoped would be there.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. "Earth to Winger."

Jeff looked around quickly to find everyone staring at him. "What? I'm ready, let's do this."

The rest of the group looked back to Abed, but Abed was still giving Jeff a look that said 'you better not mess this up.' Jeff gave Abed a sheepish grin, and Abed finally turned away and flipped on the radio. "The announcement will come sometime between five and six. Everyone key in the station's phone number and be ready to hit your dial button." Abed had set up a series of LED lights in front of each of them. "Remember, if you get a busy signal, call back immediately. If you get through and cleared off the line, wait until your light goes off to try again."

Everyone readied their phones, determined looks on their faces, and settled in to wait.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jeff was standing in front of the couch, braced against the armrest. If he hadn't been, he'd likely be on the floor. Abed was wrapped around him in a full body hug, shouting with joy. The rest of the group was cheering. Even Jeff had to admit it was pretty exciting. _It's like winning the nerd Super Bowl._

He had been dubious about whether Abed's strategy would actually work. In fact, he still wasn't sure if it had, or if it was just dumb luck. But right now that didn't matter. For a moment, he'd been so stunned when the DJ had answered his call, he'd almost forgotten to hand the phone over to Abed. Abed had given his information in a surprisingly controlled voice. But as soon as he was off the phone, he had jumped on Jeff.

Jeff felt slightly uncomfortable with the way Abed was draped around him. But he decided to let him have his moment. This was for Abed. He certainly wasn't _enjoying_ the hug… Eventually Abed detached himself from Jeff and went around hugging the rest of the group. Jeff smiled as Shirley patted his arm in congratulations and Chang clapped him on the shoulder.

Britta was wrapped in Abed's arms as she said "Wow Abed, you were right. Jeff _was_ the one who got through."

Abed pulled back and said breathlessly, "Yeah, like I said, I designed the call pattern to give Jeff the highest likelihood of being the 1,716th caller."

_Wait, so it actually… nah…_ "Why me?"

Abed shrugged. "You're the best one with a phone."

_Touché._ Jeff picked his phone up from where Abed had dropped it in his excitement. "Speaking of how good I am with my phone, I'm ordering pizza. Who wants some?" The group chattered enthusiastic agreement, and Jeff went into the kitchen to place the call. As he dialed, he saw the group start dancing around as 'Billie Jean' came on the radio.

_"Pizza Time Pizza, how may I help you?"_

"Yes, hello, I'd like to order three large pizzas for delivery."

_"Ok sir, and what would you like on them?"_

"One with pepperoni and sausage," Jeff heard the apartment door open and glanced over, "one plain cheese, and…" Jeff's mouth hung open, all thoughts of pizza banished from his head.

Annie stood in the doorway, dressed in a full, form-fitting police uniform, complete with shiny black shoes, dark sunglasses and police hat. The belt that hugged her hips was adorned with a walkie-talkie, night stick, and handcuffs. "Hey guys! What are we celebrating?"

Britta whistled and called out, "Heeyyy, sexy police woman!"

Annie blushed and closed the door behind her. "Oh this… they took me on a ride along today, and wanted me to look the part."

_"…and one plain cheese. What would you like on the third?"_

"Annie! Jeff won me the trip to visit the set of the new Inspector Spacetime!" Annie squealed in excitement as she ran over to give Abed a hug, and the group started dancing again. Annie was doing her little skipping dance where she bounced on one leg then switched to the other. The top of her uniform was unbuttoned…

_"Sir? Sir?"_

_I'm so screwed._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	3. Chapter 3

"Ok, class dismissed." Jeff kicked his feet up on his desk and watched as the students slowly filed out of the room. It was the second week of class, and so far he had been right about the collective intelligence of the Greendale summer school student body. Although Scarf Girl and Irish Anderson Cooper showed some promise. He pulled his phone out and checked his messages, finding texts from Shirley and the Dean and a voicemail from his mom. He read Shirley's text and typed a quick reply. He was about to put his phone away, but hesitated. On an impulse, he opened his contact list and scrolled down, highlighting the entry for "Annie Cell."

"hows the police thing going? solve any murders?"

He was stuffing some papers into the briefcase the group had bought him when he felt his phone vibrate.

"Paperwork. Paperwork. Paperwork. Sooo boring!"

Jeff scrolled up and down aimlessly for a few moments before typing a response.

"just finished class. lunch if your bored?"

His phone buzzed again almost immediately.

"I AM bored. I do not OWN bored."

"huh?"

"YOU'RE :-P"

"sorry i asked"

"Aww, don't cry."

"this conversation is over"

"Can't today, I have a bunch of meetings. :-( Rain check?"

"sure"

_Well that went well._ Jeff stuffed his phone in his pocket and headed towards his office. He was almost there when he spotted the Dean hanging around the entrance. Jeff ducked around a corner and peeked back into the hallway. The Dean hadn't seen him. He changed course and headed for the sanctuary of the teacher's lounge. The door was in sight when he heard a familiar voice.

"Jeffrey! Did you get my message?"

_Son of a… How does he do that?_ "Oh hey Dean. I must have missed it."

The Dean narrowed his eyes at Jeff, as he fell in beside him. "Well, I received a call this morning from the American Mock Trial Association."

"I'm going to mock care about that."

The Dean gave Jeff a sidelong glare but carried on, "They want to hold the Colorado state championship tournament at Greendale!"

Jeff stopped outside the door to the teacher's lounge and gave the Dean a smug grin. "Let me guess, they wanted a location people would laugh at more than them."

The Dean threw up his hands in exasperation. "Fine, Jeffrey, make your jokes. But this is a big event, and there's a nice grant in it for us for hosting."

Something in the Dean's tone started setting off warning alarms Jeff's head, "So… why are you telling me?" he asked carefully.

The Dean sidled closer to Jeff and began slowly, "Wellll, they want to hold an exhibition event to kick off the tournament. And since you're a lawyer, I was thinking-"

Jeff held up a hand to interrupt him, "Not interested."

"Jeffrey!" the Dean huffed, "This could really help the school's image, and-"

Jeff shook his head. "Dean, forget it. I've already got the parking space this time, so you have no leverage."

The Dean cocked an eyebrow and planted his hands on his hips. "Oh I don't, do I? Well how about this? You're an employee of the school now, and you'll do it if I tell you to."

"What? That's not fair!" Jeff sputtered, "My job is to teach classes, not pretend to be a lawyer."

The Dean gave Jeff a look that made it clear the irony of that last sentence was not lost on him. "The competition is in the fall." He turned and walked off down the hall.

Jeff spun and stormed into the teacher's lounge.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was late Friday morning, later that week. Annie sat in a long, narrow office that she shared with her supervisor, three other staff members, and numerous hulking file cabinets. Each of the desks was situated such that the person sitting at them had their back to the wall. Annie's desk was next to the door, however, so the unsettling feeling of being watched was her constant companion. An uneven pale light flickered from the fluorescent light casings on the ceiling, casting a zombie-like pall over everything it touched.

Annie had her phone pressed tight to her ear, and was trying to argue in a low whisper. "Abed, for the last time, I am not flushing my…" she blushed and her eyes darted around in embarrassment, "feminine products… down the toilet."

_"Then why does it keep clogging? It almost overflowed today."_

"I don't know!" She glanced around quickly to make sure no one was looking at her. "Abed, I told you, I can't talk about this while I'm at work."

_"But you can use the bathroom there. What am I supposed to do?"_

_Get a job?_ "Call Rick, tell him we have a plumbing problem."

_"Rick won't talk to me."_

Annie let out a sigh. _I suppose that's my fault…_ "Fine, I'll call Rick. I have to go now. Bye." She hung up the phone and turned her attention back to the case file she was working on. Every case, even the minor ones, had a considerable amount of paperwork that went along with it. She thought the GPD would've switched to a computer system by now, but apparently the community college in Greendale wasn't the only public institution to be behind the times. To make matters worse, her three coworkers seemed to think the whole point of having an intern was to give them time to gossip about the latest TV shows and complain about how much work they had to do. The work was tedious and often repetitive, but this was all about paying her dues. The internship would be good to have on her resume once she graduated and was looking to catch on as an actual detective.

Annie heard a light knock on the door frame and turned around to see a short, plump woman in her mid-sixties. Gray hair hung in short curls around the sides and back of her head, and her face was worn, but kindly. Annie smiled in greeting. "Hi Mrs. Anders, can I help you with something?"

The older woman glanced around the office before addressing Annie. "Annie dear, have you seen Don?" her words were tinged with a southern drawl and more than a little annoyance.

Annie strained to keep her smile even. Her supervisor, Don, was the worst kind of boss. He was only ever around to tell her about everything she was doing wrong, which invariably were things she had only done because he had told her to do them. "He had a meeting with Captain Robbins."

Mrs. Anders gave a frustrated shake of her head. "_I_ had a meeting with Captain Robbins. Don never showed up."

Annie tried to smother the sudden feeling of schadenfreude, but didn't quite succeed. Mrs. Anders was one of the sweetest people Annie had ever met, but you didn't want her mad at you. "Oh, well I'm sure he had a good reason." Annie said tentatively, "I think he may have-"

Mrs. Anders waved her hand dismissively. "Annie dear, you're a sweetheart, but you don't have to cover for that man. Now don't you worry about it, I'll deal with him." She stepped closer and gave Annie an affectionate pat on the shoulder. "I swear, I should just put you in charge of this department."

A thrill ran through Annie and she had to restrain herself from jumping up and hugging Mrs. Anders. She settled for bouncing happily in her chair after the other woman had left.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" an angry voice demanded. Annie turned to see her other office mates standing on the opposite side of her desk, staring daggers at her. Amy, the one who had spoken, was hunched forward with her fists planted on Annie's desk. Tim and Linda flanked her like body guards, arms folded across their chests.

Annie hadn't noticed them approaching and was taken aback by their fury, so it took her a moment to collect herself. A moment Amy was not willing to give her. "I asked you a question!"

"I'm… I'm sorry?" she managed.

"Don't play dumb, you little shit." Annie's mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide enough that she thought they might pop out of their sockets. "We know what you're up to. Kissing management's ass and trying to make the rest of us look bad. And now you're throwing Don under the bus because he's the only one who hasn't fallen for your little game."

"I didn't throw him under the bus!" Annie protested.

Amy barreled on, talking over her, "You've been here a month and you're trying to change everything about the way we do things here, like you're some princess that knows better than everyone else."

"I'm just doing my job!"

"_Your job_ is to do what we tell you to do, not show us up. You keep this up and they're going to start asking why we all don't act like perfect little Annie. You'll go back to your little school and we'll be stuck dealing with your leftover shit. So dial it down, bitch. Anders may think you're perfect, but don't think we can't make your daily life a living hell." The trio blew past her desk towards the door and disappeared down the hall.

Annie sat in silence for several minutes, trying to process what had just happened. The vitriol of the attack had her mind racing. She'd noticed a few sidelong glances from the others and had seen them whispering back and forth, she just had no idea that this is what they thought of her. A sudden snap of the plastic clip on her pen made her realize she'd been unconsciously fidgeting with it with more force than it could handle. The light above her desk started buzzing, and suddenly it was all just too much. She discarded the broken bit of plastic and pulled out her phone, typing out a quick text.

"That rain check for lunch still good?"

Annie grabbed her purse and walked purposefully to her car. By the time she got in and checked her phone again, she had an answer.

"bronze taproom?"

"Meet you there in 20"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Bronze Taproom was a typical brewery/restaurant. True to its name, the décor consisted mostly of varying shades of dark brown and earthy tones. Faux bronze was used to accent tables, railings, light fixtures, and there were even a few sculptures. There were two main sections consisting of a large seating area with booths and other tables, and a bar at the other end.

Annie gave her eyes a moment to adjust to the light, then began looking around for Jeff. She scanned the bar area first, eyes lingering on the huge vats of beer displayed behind glass at the far end. Not finding him, she turned to search the dining area. She had seen the Lexus parked outside, so she knew he was around somewhere. She was about to scan the bar area again when she finally spotted his head sticking up over one of the booths in the back. _Good thing he's freakishly tall._

Jeff looked up from his phone and smiled as she slid into the booth opposite him. "Hey, I was just texting you. I got us some water, I didn't know what you wanted to drink."

Annie dropped her purse on the inside end of her cushioned bench and smiled back at Jeff. "Thanks. How're things at Greendale?"

Jeff's brow knitted together and he gave her a curious look. "It's Greendale, Annie, how do you think things are?"

Annie pursed her lips and pretended to think intently, tapping her finger against the corner of her mouth a few times before saying, "Hmm, your students all have A-D-D, the teachers are more concerned with their next party, the Dean is working on a grand scheme to get the school noticed, and you still haven't started any of your lesson plans."

Jeff gave her a toothy grin, "See, you didn't need to ask."

Annie huffed out a small laugh and started picking at one of her fingernails. She didn't ask him to meet for lunch in order to harass him, but she also couldn't let this go… "You know, Jeff, you really ought to-"

Jeff reached out and placed his hand lightly on her wrist to still her fidgeting. "Relax Professor McGonagall. I'm not flying blind anymore. I've got notes from last semester and vice-Dean Borchert had some useful old books he gave me. It may not seem like it, but I'm actually taking this seriously now." He paused for a moment before adding, "Mostly."

Annie flushed slightly with embarrassment and watched as a bead of condensation worked its way slowly down the side of her water glass. "I'm sorry, I just… I want you to do well."

Jeff's eyebrows raised slightly and his look softened, "I… Thanks." He stroked her wrist lightly with his thumb, which immediately called both their attention to the fact that he had never removed his hand. Jeff hastily pulled it back, picked up his glass of water and took a long draught. Annie stared at her wrist, the warmth of his touch still lingering.

Jeff set his glass down with a dull thud and turned to started looking around for their waiter. _He's not going to get all weird again is he?_ Annie still wasn't sure what all that had been about. She knew it had something to do with his engagement to Britta, but why would he be worried what she thought about it? Maybe he just felt bad for the way he'd been acting, but he never really apologized for that sort of stuff before… At any rate, Annie didn't want lunch to get awkward, or for him to run out of the restaurant before they ate. She thought she knew a way to prevent both…

"Sooo. You know who Professor McGonagall is, huh?" she asked sweetly.

Jeff turned back slowly, eyes growing wide. "No."

"I don't know…" Annie teased, "You sure made it _seem_ like you know what she's like. If I didn't know better, I'd say _someone_ is a closet Harry Potter fan."

The look of desperation on Jeff's face confirmed her suspicions. "I'm not a Harry Potter fan! I just, um… I used to watch reruns of Bewitched when I was growing up, and so I just sort of always liked the idea of witches and stuff…"

Annie tried to imagine Jeff as a kid, running around pretending to be a wizard. But she had never seen a picture of Jeff when he was young, so the image that formed in her head was Jeff Winger, cool lawyer, running around pretending to be a wizard. Annie fought it as best she could, but her stomach started shaking involuntarily and she couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from twitching. A snort of laughter escaped, causing her to clap her hand over her mouth. She almost had herself under control when she caught the look of panic on Jeff's face. Annie crossed her arms on the table and buried her face in them, shoulders shaking uncontrollably as peals of laughter tumbled out of her. Soon her stomach was starting to hurt, and she was gasping for air, but it wouldn't stop. Somewhere in her mind it occurred to her that her plan for keeping him from running out of the restaurant wasn't going very well.

Annie sat up, one hand on her chest to help still her breathing, the other held up in a placating gesture. "I'm ss… I'm sorry." She managed amidst another chortle.

Jeff looked thoroughly miserable. "Are you done?" he asked dryly.

Annie wiped her eyes and nodded quickly.

Jeff let out a long sigh. "And you guys wonder why I don't share details about my life."

"Jeff, no!" Annie protested, "This is good, this is a good thing! If you weren't such a mystery to everyone, you wouldn't get such a reaction. There's nothing wrong with being a Harry Potter fan, it's only funny because it's so unexpected. I like Harry Potter too."

Jeff considered her words for a moment, then gave a half-hearted nod. He grabbed two menus from the end of the table and handed one to her. After a moment of perusing the menu, his head snapped up and he gave her an earnest look. "Please don't tell Britta."

Annie giggled and held out her hand. "Pinky swear." Jeff looked at her doubtfully, but wrapped his little finger around hers and they shook on it. He looked back down at his menu, but Annie had one last point of curiosity. "Books or movies?"

Jeff met her gaze for a moment before looking down again. "Books." He mumbled.

Annie arched her eyebrows and gave a nod of approval. She flipped open her menu and had just started skimming the lunch options when a violent hiccup shook her. She reached quickly for her glass of water as another one hit.

Jeff glanced up at her. "You ok?"

Annie gulped down some water before answering. "Fine, I jus- *hic* have the hiccups."

Jeff gave her a sardonic half smile. "Serves you right."

Annie convulsed again, then gave a careless shrug. "It was worth it. I needed a laugh." He gave her a curious look, but said no more.

They sat for a while, each deciding what to order. The low hum of conversation from around the restaurant was occasionally accompanied by Annie's alternating hiccups and guzzling of water. She had finally quelled her ordeal by the time their waiter arrived.

"Sorry for the wait folks, my name is Chris and I'll be taking care of you this afternoon. Can I get you something else to drink, or is water enough?"

Annie barely waited for him to finish before she blurted out, "I'd like a screwdriver, please."

Jeff arched and eyebrow and studied her as Chris said, "Of course, miss, I just need to see some ID please."

Annie fished her driver's license out of her purse and handed it over. Once satisfied, he handed it back. "Anything for you sir?"

"Uh, yeah, I'll have a large glass of your summer ale." Jeff pulled his driver's license out and offered it to Chris.

Chris waived him off, however. "That's fine sir, no need." Jeff frowned and put his ID back in his wallet while Annie stifled a laugh. "And are you ready to order food, or do you need a few more minutes?"

Annie ordered the Cajun chicken sandwich with a side of fries and potato salad. Jeff got the bourbon chicken with steamed vegetables. After taking their orders, Chris hurried off, promising to return with their drinks.

Jeff eyed Annie suspiciously before finally saying, "Quite the drink order."

"Hmm? What's wrong with it?"

Jeff shrugged and went on casually, "Usually you don't get drunk until at least 2:30."

Annie rolled her eyes and exhaled loudly. "I'm not getting _drunk_, Jeff."

Jeff placed his arms on the table and leaned forward. "Come on. Something's bothering you."

Annie stared at the table and started tracing aimless circles with her finger. "It's nothing." She glanced up to see him looking at her intently, one eyebrow raised. She gave him a weak smile. "It's… It's just some stuff at work. You wouldn't care about that."

Jeff winced and leaned back, his gaze drifting out the window. "I could care…" he murmured.

Annie's heart lurched up into her throat and she let out a soft gasp. Jeff kept his gaze directed out the window, a wistful expression on his face. Annie didn't know if she wanted to cry or hug him, so instead she just reached out and placed her hand on his. He turned slowly back towards her, a wan smile spreading across his face.

Annie opened her mouth to start telling him about the events of that morning, but just then Chris showed up with their drinks. She pulled back, brushing her hair over her shoulder and thanking Chris. After he departed, she took a tentative sip of her screwdriver and shivered at the strength of it. She pushed it aside and decided to hold off drinking it until she had eaten something. Jeff, meanwhile, had no worries about a bartender's indiscriminant pour affecting his beer, and was drinking deeply.

Finally, he set down his glass and wiped his mouth with his thumb and index finger. "So, tell me about what happened at work."

Annie launched into an account of her daily tasks, Mrs. Anders, and some of the officers she saw on a regular basis, including officer Cackowski. Eventually, she got around to describing her three coworkers and Don. Jeff listened through it all, and much to her surprise, actually seemed invested in what she was telling him. "Last week he tried to take credit for the change I made in the filing system. He told Mrs. Anders it was this idea that just came to him."

Jeff shook his head and snorted. "What a dick."

Annie nodded. "Uh huh. But Mrs. Anders didn't believe him. She told me," Annie switched to her imitation southern drawl, "'That man hasn't had a good idea in the six years he's been here. Now you show up and suddenly he's Thomas Edison.'"

Jeff chuckled and took another drink of his beer. "Well at least she knows who the real brains of the outfit are."

Annie blushed slightly and smiled, then turned thoughtful. "She's great… I'm not sure I'd be able to handle things there without her. I wish I could just work directly for her. But she keeps talking about retiring, so…"

Jeff grimaced, "That's too bad."

"Yeah. But I don't think she'll leave before the summer's over. I just don't want think about what'll happen there if Don gets her job next…" Annie stared glumly at the table, then reached out and grabbed her drink, taking another small sip. After the inevitable shiver had passed, she took a deep breath. "So anyway, this morning she came into our office looking for Don…"

Annie recounted her discussion with Mrs. Anders, and then the confrontation with Amy, Linda and Tim. By the time she finished, Jeff was fuming.

Jeff growled out, "Want me to meet them in the parking lot? I could… well, this Tim guy sounds like a real wuss. I can get Shirley and Britta to handle the other two."

Annie knitted her brow together and laughed nervously. "Um, thanks Jeff, but you can't fight them. They're cops. I mean, they're not actual officers, but if you did that, well… not even _you'd_ be able to get those charges dismissed."

Jeff gave her a sly grin. "You'd be surprised at some of the things I've gotten thrown out of court." Annie stared blankly at him until he relented. "Fine. No fighting. But we've got to do something." He perked up as an idea seemed to occur to him, "Elaborate revenge plot?" he said as he pointed at her. "Elab…" he stopped short and seemed slightly nonplussed as he realized there was no one else to point at. Finally he shrugged and looked at her sheepishly. "Elaborate revenge plot?"

Annie looked up at the ceiling and gave an exasperated sigh. "No, Jeff. This is something that I've got to-"

"But Annie," he interrupted, "you can't just let this go, you've got to-"

"Jeff!" she barked, a little more curtly than she intended. Jeff froze, looking like a puppy who'd just been scolded for peeing on the carpet. Annie took a deep breath to calm herself. "Jeff. I appreciate your concern, but this is something I have to deal with myself. Besides, they're right."

_"What?"_

Annie closed her eyes and shook her head slowly before continuing, "I'm not saying they went about it the right way. But they do have a point. Their way of doing things might not be great, but it's worked for them so far. I was so focused on my own goals and trying to stand out that I didn't think about what it would mean for them. I have to realize that not everyone is going to want to live up to my standards. And if I want to be a detective, then these are the people I'm going to have to work with. So I have to figure out how to work _with_ them instead of just trying to force them into doing things my way."

Jeff blinked at her. After a moment, he huffed out a small laugh and gave her a lopsided smile. "Ok then."

Annie watched him carefully, and a warm glow of satisfaction began to spread through her as she recognized the look of newfound respect on Jeff's face.

"Well," she said brightly, "enough about that. Tell me about the Dean's plot to put Greendale on the map."

Jeff leaned his head back and groaned. "You're not going to believe what he wants me to do…"

The rest of lunch consisted of chatting about the Dean's grand plans for hosting the Colorado mock trial state championship, Abed's lack of employment, Shirley's latest issues with Ben's daycare, and the surprising news that Britta actually _had_ gone with Duncan to the St. George's Day celebration. Annie filled the time in between talking with smacking Jeff's hand as he tried to steal French fries off her plate. Despite her best efforts, he was still able to abscond with a few.

When the check showed up, Annie reached for her purse, but Jeff stopped her. "Annie please. I've got it."

"Jeff," Annie protested, "you don't have to buy me lunch!"

Jeff waved his hand dismissively. "Come on, you've had a rough day. Consider it an apology for trying to tell you how to handle your work stuff."

Annie peered at him through narrowed eyes. "Ok, but I'll get the next one."

Jeff grinned at her and shook his head. "Nope."

Annie crossed her arms and huffed. "Well, at least let me get the tip then."

Jeff considered for a moment, then agreed. Annie inspected the check, then pulled out her purse and counted out exactly 20%. As the last of the coins clinked down onto the table, she looked up to find Jeff eying her like she was nuts. She flashed an innocent smile and slid out of the booth.

They made their way out to the parking lot, Annie sucking on a mint she had grabbed from the hostess's desk. When they reached her car, Annie stopped and wrapped Jeff in a hug. Jeff folded his arms around her and gave her a squeeze. "Thanks for lunch." She said into his chest. "And… thanks for listening."

"Anytime." His voice vibrated through her, and although he had spoken softly, the word had sounded loud in her ear with the way she was pressed close to him.

Some of Annie's hair got caught in his stubble as she pulled back; she flushed slightly and quickly straightened it. "We um, we should do this again."

Jeff smiled and nodded. Annie went over to her car door and unlocked it, giving Jeff a quick wave before getting in. She watched in her rearview mirror as he turned and strolled towards his car. Annie took a deep breath as the car chugged to life, then backed out and headed back to work.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **The show doesn't address it, but it was my assumption that Shirley and Andre reconciled at some point during S5.

It was a Friday night in early July, and Shirley had invited everyone over for a game night. Jeff had been first to arrive, having left Greendale early but not wanting to make the trek back across town he'd have to make if he went home first. He had busied himself with helping Shirley in the kitchen until Abed showed up and started hollering out quotes from "Kitchen Nightmares." Jeff ended up having to pull him into the living room to avoid his imminent strangling by Shirley. Abed, oblivious to the mortal danger he had been in, had immediately begun selling Jeff on the lead role in his next film.

"You'd be the best fit. I wrote the character with you in mind."

"Abed," Jeff sighed, "you know how much I love being in your movies, which isn't much, but I've got mid-terms to grade and I'm trying to get out to test drive a few cars. Does it have to be tomorrow?"

Abed nodded vigorously. "I need to finish principle shooting of several scenes this weekend if I'm going to have everything done before Rachel and I leave for Cardiff."

Jeff frowned. "I thought that wasn't for two more months."

"It's not. But I start my new job Monday, and I'll have to work weekends after that."

Jeff gave Abed a smirk. "Got tired of Annie pestering you, huh?"

Abed furrowed his brow in consternation. "Rachel and Annie confronted me about it."

Jeff winced in sympathy. "Ouch."

Abed shook his head in bewilderment. "They said I had a responsibility as a roommate, but I wasn't doing it to be lazy. I have a project I'm working on that's important for our group's long-term happiness."

Jeff narrowed his eyes at him. "I bet."

"Rachel threated to not go with me to the Inspector Spacetime set. Why would she give up something she wanted just to side with Annie?"

Jeff laughed and shook his head. "Solidarity. Better get used to it." Jeff could see the gears turning in Abed's head, but he still wasn't getting it. He didn't know how else to explain something he didn't fully understand himself, so he decided to change the subject. "So what's your new job going to be?"

Abed pulled himself from his contemplation and shrugged. "It's just a job at a theme park. I don't know what I'll be doing yet, but I have to take lifeguard training."

Jeff dispelled a momentary vision of Abed pretending to run in slow motion towards a child struggling in the water. _No way that could possibly go wrong._ "Sounds… fun."

"I don't know," Abed demurred, "but I guess I could use it as an opportunity to scout for extras. Anyway, if you're not available tomorrow, then I suppose I'll have to get Starburns to do it."

Jeff recoiled in shock. "_Star-Burns? That's_ your stand-in for me?"

"Sorry." Abed gave another shrug. "I'll have to rework the character a little to make him more of an anti-hero. I have to tell Annie too, I don't think she's going to like having to kiss him."

"Wait, _what_?"

"It's a scene towards the end," Abed said casually, "but I want to make sure I get the right lighting. Most of the other shoots will probably have to be at night. It's ok though, I understand that you're busy."

Abed turned towards the dining room, but Jeff reached out and grabbed his shoulder. "Uh, wait…" Jeff hesitated, "I guess… I could put off the car thing until next weekend; it's just for a few hours right?" Abed nodded. "I could still get the mid-terms done then. But hey, it's Greendale, they're lucky to get anything back. Besides, Annie would never forgive me, I mean," Jeff made a circle in the air around his face, "imagine having to trade this in for Star-Burns."

Abed gave him a half smile. "Cool. Cool cool cool."

Jeff heard a loud click, followed by Abed flinching involuntarily as a foam dart struck the back of his head.

"Got you!" Elijah cried triumphantly from the top of the stairwell. Jordan fired a dart at Jeff, but he was able to duck out of the way just in time.

"We're taking fire!" Abed shouted as he ran farther into the living room and out of the boys' range. He ducked behind a recliner while hollering for Jeff to take cover.

As Jeff retreated into the living room, the boys descended the stairs while loading more darts into their guns. The boys came back into view and began firing through the railing. Jeff pulled a large cushion off of the sofa and held it out in front of him. He advanced slowly towards the stairs, darts bouncing harmlessly off his plush force field.

"Hey, no fair!" Elijah protested.

"No fair? You mean like the sneak attack you just pulled?" Jeff countered.

Jordan yelped in surprise as a ball of yarn bounced off his head. Abed had grabbed Shirley's knitting basket and begun lobbing the yarn like artillery rounds. Faced with an advancing Jeff from one angle and Abed's shelling from another, the boys' resolve shattered and they routed. Elijah darted past Jeff into the living room, while Jordan tried to flee back up the stairs. Jeff discarded the sofa cushion and lunged after Jordan, catching him by the ankle. Jordan shrieked as Jeff lifted him into the air, carrying him into the living room where Abed and Elijah were pummeling each other with yarn and foam. Jeff hefted Jordan over his head, and brought him crashing down into a pile of blankets at one end of the sofa. As Jordan breathlessly tried to extricate himself from the blankets, Jeff held his fists up in victory.

"Bow before Thoraxis!" Jeff bellowed.

Abed inhaled sharply and immediately prostrated himself at Jeff's feet. Elijah gave Abed a dumbfounded look, then fired his last dart into Abed's side.

Jeff was about to grab Elijah to throw him into the blanket pile when he saw a look of panic come over the boys. He turned around to see Shirley standing at the entrance to the living room, hands planted firmly on her hips.

"What did I tell you about shooting those things in the house?" Shirley demanded.

Elijah bowed his head in shame, but Jordan finished pulling himself out of the blanket pile and pouted. "Aww, but moooommmm!"

"Yeah, but moooommmm!" Jeff echoed, then immediately regretted it as Shirley gave him a deathly glare.

"Don't you talk back to me now. Either of you." Shirley gestured around the living room. "Now, I want this mess cleaned up before the others get here."

"Yes, mom." Elijah and Jordan said in unison. Jeff gave Shirley a wink, and she rolled her eyes and returned to the kitchen muttering about having to keep five little boys in line.

Abed, Elijah and Jordan picked up the scattered darts and yarn balls while Jeff returned the couch cushion and straightened the blankets. After the damage to the living room had been repaired, Jeff clapped them both on the shoulder before the boys headed back upstairs.

Jeff and Abed made their way back into the kitchen, where Shirley was pulling a lasagna out of the oven. Much to Jeff's relief, Abed was done with his quoting.

"So what game are we going to play tonight?" Abed asked.

"Britta said she was bringing 'Cards Against Humanity.'" Jeff offered.

Abed 'Oohed' with eagerness, but Shirley quickly quashed it. "Oh no. That vile game will _not_ be played underneath my roof."

Jeff and Abed exchanged disappointed glances.

"We could play Monopoly, or Trivial Pursuit." Shirley went on.

Jeff grimaced. "Eight player Monopoly would take two weeks."

"And there are only six game pieces in Trivial Pursuit." Abed added.

"Well, we could play teams then." Shirley suggested.

"Works for me." Jeff said, "How do we pick the teams, draw names out of a hat?"

Abed's eyes bulged. "Jeff, do you have any idea how many parallel timelines that would create?"

Jeff looked at the ceiling and groaned. "Fine Abed, how do you want to do it?"

"I want to be on Rachel's team."

"Ooh, and I want to be on Andre's." Shirley giggled.

"Alright, then what about me, Britta, Annie and the Dean?"

"Keeping with the pattern, you should be partnered with Britta or Annie." Abed said quickly.

Shirley nodded, "So who do you pick, Jeffrey? Brit-ta or An-nie?"

"Um…" Jeff swallowed and looked back and forth between the two; Shirley smiled expectantly at him while Abed wore an amused expression. "Uh… For Trivial Pursuit? Definitely Annie."

Shirley nodded at the obvious choice and turned back to the oven. Abed watched Jeff carefully until finally Jeff threw up his hands and mouthed a silent "_What_" at him. Abed chuckled softly, then excused himself to use the bathroom.

"Shirley, do you have anything to drink?" Jeff asked in a tired voice.

"Beer and sodas are in the fridge." Shirley chirped.

Jeff fished a beer out of the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle opener from the cupboard. The cap popped off with a hiss, and Jeff tilted the bottle up to take a long drink. Being around Abed and Annie at the same time was getting to be exhausting for Jeff. Abed never seemed to miss an opportunity to remind him that he knew _everything_, or to prod him in some other manner. As annoying as it could be at times, there were also several instances where Abed had actually proven himself a capable wingman. Jeff didn't particularly enjoy being pressured by Abed, but more often than not he found himself going along with it. The newest gambit had come as a surprise, and Jeff was reluctantly impressed with how he'd been manipulated into starring in Abed's movie. He also couldn't help but notice that most of Abed's "help" ended up getting Abed something he wanted as well. The Dean had been feeding Jeff bits and pieces of information on Abed's overall plot, but somehow things like "you'll be kissing Annie tomorrow" always seemed to ambush him. Like that wasn't something he needed to know…

When Abed returned, Shirley put them to work setting the table for dinner. Jeff was setting out the silverware when he saw two cars roll up and park on the street. The Dean's bald head appeared over the top of the front car, while Annie, Britta and Rachel piled out of Annie's beat up clunker.

Jeff went and opened the front door to let everyone in, and was almost knocked over by an onrushing Britta.

"Coming through!" she yelled as she blew past Jeff and disappeared into the bathroom.

"Hey Britta, good to see you too." Jeff said under his breath. He turned and smiled at the rest of the group as they approached.

"Sorry about that…" Rachel said, her eyes wide. "She's been squirming the entire way here."

"Annie, we've talked about this." Jeff grinned as he chided her, "You know you have to ask her if she went potty before any car ride."

"I know, I know." Annie giggled as they made their way into the dining room, "But she was already making us late so I took a chance."

"Hey guys!" Abed greeted them as Rachel gave him a peck on the cheek. "Thanks for giving Rachel a ride, Annie."

"Oh, it's fine. It's on my way from work."

"I think we're about ready to eat," Jeff said, "Shirley was just finishing up."

"Oh!" Rachel piped up, "I'll get the garlic bread ready. It'll just need a quick reheat."

Jeff furrowed his brow in confusion, "You brought garlic bread?"

"Yep!" Annie said cheerfully, "And Abed and I made cookies last night."

"And I brought wine!" the Dean chimed in, displaying a bottle clutched in each of his hands.

"Wait…" Jeff said as he followed them into the kitchen, "Did you _all_ bring something?" He glanced around the room, but no one said anything. Annie and Shirley were exchanging guilty looks. "How come no one asked me to bring anything?" he demanded.

"Because we knew you wouldn't do it, Jeff." Britta said haughtily as she entered the kitchen and tossed a couple bags of Chex Mix on the counter.

"Wow. Nice to know you all have so much faith in me." Jeff sulked.

"Aww, don't feel bad," Annie tried consoling him, "we just wanted to be sure we'd have everything we needed."

Jeff gave her a flat stare. "You're not helping." He deadpanned.

Annie flashed the Disney face, then gave him a quick hug from the side, pressing the side of her face into his upper arm. She pulled back and ran her right hand in small circles around his lower back. "Don't be mad at us. Please?"

When Jeff didn't immediately respond, she moved her hand to his side and started tickling him. Jeff flinched, then reached his left arm out around her and pulled her close, pinning her to his side. "Stop that." The corners of his mouth were quirked up in a slight smile that belied his stern tone. Annie struggled briefly, but Jeff kept her locked in place. Eventually she settled for freeing her right arm from in between them and hooked it around his lower waist. She relaxed into his side and rested her head against his shoulder as they watched the rest of the group bustle about finishing the final touches on dinner.

Once ready, they began transporting everything into the dining room. Shirley called for the boys to wash up and come downstairs. As the boys came barreling down the stairs, the front door opened, and Andre entered, carrying Ben.

"Dad!" they each yelled, running over and wrapping him in hugs from each side.

"Hey! How are my boys?" Andre made his way awkwardly into the dining room, still carrying Ben and with Elijah and Jordan attached to either side of him. "Sorry I'm late everyone. Baby, we have got to find a new daycare place."

Shirley nodded knowingly, and leaned up to give Andre a kiss before taking Ben and hustling off to get him cleaned up for dinner. Andre leaned down and wrapped the boys in a hug before shuffling them towards the table. Once there, they proceeded to get into a scuffle over who would get to sit next to Britta. Elijah won, and smugly sat himself down in the chair. Jordan stood by the table looking heartbroken, and more than a little jealous, until Annie asked him if he would please sit next to her. He darted around the table and slid into the chair between Annie and Rachel, beaming like he was the king of all creation, and suddenly it was Elijah's turn to be jealous.

The rest of the group took their places around the long rectangular table, and Shirley soon returned with Ben. After she got him situated in his booster seat, she announced, "Welcome everyone to the Bennett household, and thank you all so much for coming! Before we eat, I'd like give thanks to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for this wonderful bounty before us." Jeff started to reach for the salad bowl in front of him, but quickly pulled back when it became clear she wasn't finished. Several minutes later, after Shirley had run through an extensive list of things they were all thankful for and blessings on those that couldn't be there, the group was eagerly passing around serving plates full of lasagna (including a vegetarian one for Britta), salad and Rachel's home-made garlic bread.

After everyone had eaten their fill, Shirley sent the boys upstairs with instructions to come get her if Ben needed anything or was causing them trouble. As they trudged upstairs, the rest of the group made their way into the living room while Shirley retrieved the game.

Once sufficient chairs had been set up around the coffee table, Abed announced the teams. The Dean made a face upon learning he was paired with Britta, but sat down in a folding chair next to hers. Annie plopped down to Jeff's right on the sofa and tucked her legs up under her, while he stretched out and propped his feet on the table. "We're winning this, right?" Jeff said under his breath.

Annie leaned into him and whispered back "It's in the bag."

"I don't believe in stereotyping gender by color, but this game is clearly sexist." Seven irritated looks were immediately directly at Britta.

"How is Trivial Pursuit sexist?" Jeff asked incredulously.

"Think about it! The culture fascists have brainwashed us that pink is a female color and blue is male." Britta raised her index finger for emphasis and began wagging it each time she drove home a point. "And what categories do they represent? Blue is Geography and pink is entertainment! It's indoctrination to make us think men should be ruling the world and women are just there to entertain them!"

A chorus of groans was Britta's reward for her pontification. Annie gave Britta a skeptical look and said, "I think you're reaching a bit, Britta."

"It's subtle messages like this that program us into a way of thinking! Free your minds, soul sisters! Don't let the big gaming corporations tell you that you couldn't have been the one to discover the continent of Austria!"

"Australia." The group said in unison.

Britta faltered, then shook her head in frustration. "Whatever."

"What about the other categories?" Jeff asked in a wondering voice. "What insidious and malicious social commentary can I draw from history being yellow?"

"We should be scared of it." Abed interjected.

Rachel nodded her head gravely, "Yeah… yellow is associated with fear."

"My God." Annie began quietly, then progressively became louder and more frantic, "They don't want us to learn history. They don't want us to learn _from_ history. They want us to repeat the mistakes of the past!"

"And they even disguise it by _teaching_ you history. Diabolical…" Rachel added.

Britta crossed her arms and harrumphed, a deep scowl covering her face.

"Ok, so…" Andre began tentatively, clearly unfamiliar with the group dynamic, "are we still playing this?"

Shirley set the board out along with a game piece for each team. Once the game began, it was quickly clear that Annie's prediction had been correct. Jeff and Annie whizzed around the board collecting pie pieces at more than twice the rate of everyone else. Jeff's primary contribution was in the Sports and Leisure category (Annie's kryptonite), and though he chipped in a few other answers, it was Annie who was the dominant force. Each time she answered a question correctly, Annie would bounce in her seat or nudge Jeff's thigh with her foot. When Jeff got one right, he'd poke her lightly in the soft, ticklish part of her side, making her wriggle.

After two quick and convincing wins by team J/A, the rest of the group wanted revenge. It was decided that one last game would be played, but with only two teams: Jeff and Annie against everyone else.

The collective knowledge of six team members made for a much greater challenge, and a run of particularly difficult questions for Jeff and Annie turned the game into a tense affair. After several lead changes, Jeff and Annie found themselves facing defeat, with team Shiranrabedbritdean having a full pie sitting on the center hub.

"What category should we give them?" Jeff asked.

Annie rocked back and forth nervously, "_Not_ entertainment. Abed knows every single answer."

Rachel had proven herself an expert in Arts and Literature, Andre knew all about Sports and Leisure, Shirley and the Dean had been adept at Geography, and Britta had shown a surprising aptitude for History. "How about Science and Nature? Shirley won't know those." Jeff shot Shirley an apologetic look in response to her glare.

Annie dithered, fidgeting nervously. "I don't know… ugghhhh! Ok, I guess so." She pulled a card from the box and read "What animal has the longest lifespan in captivity?" After reading the question she collapsed back into the couch, which Jeff had learned meant she knew the answer and thought it obvious. Of course, what was obvious to Annie wasn't necessarily the same for everyone else.

"Ok!" Britta held both her hands out to the side, "What animals live a really long time?"

"Elephants." Shirley offered.

"I don't think they live as long in captivity, baby." Andre said.

"I read about a type of whale that lived for over 200 years." Rachel said slowly. "I can't remember the name though. But that's probably another one that wouldn't live that long in captivity."

Jeff could feel Annie tensing with excitement beside him as more incorrect answers were tossed around. But when he glanced over, her face was serene, betraying none of her emotions. Jeff made a mental note not to try his luck against her in poker.

Eventually, the group settled on their answer: the Macaw, a parrot that was supposed to have a very long life span in captivity.

"Is that your final answer?" Annie asked in a calm voice.

Several heads nodded in assent.

"Ha HA!" Annie exclaimed, "It's the giant tortoise!"

Disappointed groans echoed around the room.

"Huh, I suppose they didn't account for the ones Britta lights on fire." Jeff quipped.

"That happened _once_, and it was _Todd's_ fault!"

Annie picked up the die to start their turn. After bouncing back and forth between 'Roll Again' spots a few times, she finally landed them on the yellow pie square. "Ok, for the wedge…" she said with determination.

The Dean drew a card from the box and read "What country invaded Cyprus in 1974?"

"Turkey." Annie said nonchalantly, before Jeff even had time to try to remember where Cyprus was. She didn't wait for the Dean to tell her she was right before grabbing a yellow pie wedge and dropping it into the last empty slot on their game piece.

"Why do you know that?" Jeff asked in bewilderment.

"Why _don't_ you?" she retorted.

"I do… now…"

Annie rolled her eyes and handed him the die. "Here, it's your turn. Roll a six."

Jeff took the die and started shaking it, then paused and held it up to Annie. "Would you, milady?"

Annie's eyes twinkled as she blew on the die for luck. Jeff tossed it on the board and they both leaned forward to see the result: a six. "Yesss!" Annie gave Jeff's leg a squeeze just above his knee and moved their game piece to the center hub.

The others debated which category to give them, and eventually settled on Arts and Literature. As Abed pulled the card out of the box, Annie scooted to the edge of the couch and leaned forward in anticipation. Jeff sat back casually and tried not to let on that his heart was racing a little.

"Ok, your question is: What Ayn Rand novel is set in a dystopian United States and is considered her most extensive statement on the philosophy of Objectivism?"

Jeff felt a burst of excitement, but sat still, waiting to see if Annie knew the answer. She chewed at a thumbnail for a moment, then gave a frustrated huff. "I _knew_ I should have taken that 20th century philosophy course!"

Jeff waited a few more seconds to let the tension build, then tapped her lightly on the shoulder. Annie turned towards him, annoyed that he was interrupting her thought. "Ahem. If I may?"

She eyed him warily, not sure if he could be trusted with an answer of this level of importance. Finally, she gave a quick nod accompanied by a look that screamed 'You better be right about this.'

Jeff slowly lifted his right leg and crossed it carelessly over the other. He glanced at each of the faces that were turned towards him, then began inspecting the fingernails on his left hand as if they were the most interesting things in the world.

"Today, Winger." Britta growled.

Jeff slowly shifted his gaze to Abed and said coolly, "Atlas. Shrugged."

Six heads swiveled towards Abed for the verdict. He flipped the card over, then scrunched his face in disappointment and nodded.

Annie squealed with joy and launched herself halfway off the couch while the other five grumbled dejectedly.

Jeff couldn't help but smile at Annie's enthusiasm, but before he knew it she had turned and hurled herself at him, wrapping him in a tight hug. Jeff's arms wrapped around her almost defensively in response, and he found himself temporarily blinded by her hair. The smell of wild cherry blossom shampoo filled his nostrils and for moment his entire world consisted of _Annie_.

She pulled back much too soon for Jeff's liking, and twisted around so that she was sitting in his lap with her back to the armrest and legs stretched out along the couch. Her face was still beaming as she said breathlessly, "Talk about me… how did _you_ know _that_?"

Jeff cocked an eyebrow at her as if the answer were obvious. "Uh, duh-doy, it's a book about the morality of rational self-interest."

Annie tilted her head and nodded slowly, "Oohhhh."

As Annie clambered off Jeff's lap, he caught Shirley eyeing him disapprovingly. He gave her an innocent shrug, then stood up and stretched. "I'm going to get some more wine. I'll leave you all to bask in the glow of my genius."

"Ooh! I'll get the cookies!" Annie popped up and followed Jeff into the kitchen.

Annie pulled out a plate and started laying out the cookies in an orderly pattern while Jeff scanned the wine rack. "Nice job out there."

"Thanks!" Annie said cheerily. "You helped a lot too, though."

"Hmph. Yeah, maybe a little."

"Hey, so remember that presentation I told you about?"

Jeff pulled a bottle of Malbec off the rack and turned to look at Annie. "The one for all the department heads? How'd it go?"

"Nailed it!" Annie singsonged, and accompanied it with a little victory shimmy.

"Nice!"

"You should've seen Don's face. He wanted so badly to be angry, but people kept congratulating him so he had to pretend to be happy."

"Heh. And how're things going with Larry, Curly and Moe?"

Annie laughed softly and bobbed her head lightly from side to side. "A lot better, actually. Amy and I gave the presentation together, and the other two helped us develop it. I doubt we'll ever be best friends, but I think Don's the only one who still hates me."

Jeff glanced down and finally took a look at the cookies Annie was stacking into a neat pyramid. They were rectangular sugar cookies with an intricate American flag painted on each in red, white and blue icing. He turned back to the wine rack and exchanged the Malbec for a dessert wine, then moved over next to Annie and leaned against the counter.

"You know the 4th of July was last week, right?"

"Yeah, but they're festive!"

Jeff reached down and pulled a cookie out from the bottom of one of the pyramid's corners, collapsing part of the structure.

"Jeff!" Annie cried in protest.

Jeff stuffed the cookie in his mouth and bit off half of it as she set about repairing the damage he'd done. "Thankpth."

"You _could_ have taken one off the top, you know."

"Where's the fun in that?" Annie admonished him with her eyes, then muttered to herself as she resumed stacking.

Jeff raised his arm to pop the rest of the cookie into his mouth, but as he did, Annie swung her hips to the side, connecting with his. The impact jostled him enough that instead of ending up in it, the cookie hit the side of Jeff's mouth and fell to the floor.

"Hey! Party foul."

"All's fair in cookies and war."

"I'm pretty sure that's _not_ how the saying goes." Jeff grabbed a paper towel and picked up the remnants of the cookie before tossing it in the trash.

Annie finished construction of her pyramid, then picked up the plate and turned to face Jeff. A small laugh escaped her lips and she pointed at Jeff's face. "You've got some icing…"

Jeff swiped at the side of his mouth. "Good?"

"Yeah but, oh, you've got some on your collar too."

Jeff's eyes went wide and he tugged at his collar to try to spot the offending bit of icing. "Augh, Annie, this is a $200 shirt."

"Calm down, it's the white icing. Here. Let me." Annie set down the cookies and wetted a paper towel, then began dabbing at the spot on Jeff's collar.

Jeff watched her as she focused intently on her task, working different spots of the towel around to get as much of the icing out as possible. Eventually she became aware of his gaze, and her movements slowed, then stopped. Her eyes lifted to meet his, and Jeff couldn't help but think how easy it would be to get lost in that sea of blue. "Um," Annie said in a small voice, "I think you're ok now…"

"Thanks." His voice was little more than a whisper. Annie's hands dropped to her sides, and Jeff shifted closer, looming over her. Her breath hitched in her throat, and her eyes dropped to his lips.

Her mouth parted slightly, and Jeff had never wanted anything more than to lean down and kiss her.

"Hey! Are you guys coming back or what? We were promised wine and cookies."

Jeff turned to see Britta standing impatiently at the entrance to the kitchen.

Annie spun and snatched the plate of cookies off the counter. "Yes! Sorry, yes! We, uh, we just had a little icing mishap…" She rushed past him, face flushed a rosy shade of pink, and out of the kitchen.

Britta regarded Jeff through narrowed eyes, then turned and followed Annie out.

Jeff took a deep breath, then grabbed the bottle of wine and returned to the living room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
It was after 1am when they all agreed it was time to call it a night. At least, everyone except Annie, who was asleep at the end of the couch, her legs curled up under her and her head laid softly on the armrest.

"Is everyone ok to drive?" Jeff asked.

"We have a guest bedroom if anyone needs it." Shirley offered.

Abed had taken a cab over and said he would drive Rachel and Annie back in Annie's car. The Dean had consumed a copious amount of wine and, much to Shirley's dismay, decided it was best if he took her up on her offer.

"Jeff, can you give me a ride?" Britta asked. "I'm closer to your place than Annie and Abed's."

Jeff stifled a yawn and nodded. He pulled himself off the couch and leaned down to give Annie's arm a light shake. Her eyes fluttered open. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty," he said gently, "it's time to go home."

Annie's eyelids drifted closed then gradually opened again. Her gaze shifted around slowly before settling on him, but the distant look in her eyes made Jeff unsure whether she was really awake yet. "Hmmmm." A soft smile played lazily over her lips. "You think I'm beautiful…"

Jeff's breath caught in his throat and for a moment he thought his heart had stopped. She had spoken so softly that Jeff had barely heard her, though a part of him was still dreading that the whole room had heard. But more than anything, he wanted to tell her.

_Yes. You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. You are the sweetest, smartest, silliest, most caring and genuinely wonderful person I've ever met. For the life of me, I can't figure out why you keep hanging around. I'd be the luckiest guy in history if you would let me love you. I'm just terrified that one day you'll wake up and figure out you're too good for me._

Annie's eyes slid closed again, and Jeff had to tear himself away. He stood and turned towards the others. "Someone else want to give it a try?"

As Rachel knelt next to Annie and tried to rouse her, Jeff went around and said some quick goodbyes. A few hugs and handshakes later, the cool night air was prickling his skin as he walked to his car with Britta half-running to catch up.

"Geez, Jeff, what's the hurry?" Britta puffed.

Jeff didn't respond, he just unlocked the car and slid into the driver's seat. Britta climbed in as Jeff fired up the engine then backed out of Shirley's driveway.

They drove in silence for several minutes, but Jeff could feel Britta watching him from the passenger seat. He knew she wouldn't let the whole ride go by like this. He wanted the quiet to go on as long as possible, but soon the suspense over when she would break it was driving him crazy.

"What? What is it? What?" he blurted.

"I don't know, you tell me."

"Tell you what?'

"It."

"It?"

"It."

"What?"

"Yeah."

Jeff blew out an exasperated breath. "Ok, I'm not going to sit here any play 'Who's on First' with you."

"I don't know, Jeff. One minute you're trying to wake up Annie, the next you're running out the door like you're late for a spray tan clearance sale."

"It's late, and I'm tired."

"And what about that little scene in the kitchen?"

"What little scene?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

Jeff hesitated. "I got icing on my shirt. Annie was cleaning it off for me."

"She wasn't cleaning anything when I walked in."

Jeff fought the urge to slam on the brakes, gas and horn all at once. "What do you want from me?" he asked curtly.

"I. Don't. Know. Jeff. You're the one with the problem. But with the way you've been acting, I'd say it's got something to do with Annie."

"Spare me the remedial psychoanalysis."

"Because I'm right?"

"Because you don't know what you're talking about. You never have, and you never will."

Britta's fist connected with Jeff's shoulder, sending a jolt of pain down his arm. "Jerk."

The unexpected impact caused Jeff to swerve part way into the oncoming lane. Fortunately, there was no traffic due to the late hour. He quickly corrected and checked his mirrors.

"Ok, rule number one. Don't assault the driver."

"Rule number shut up. Don't be an ass." Britta crossed her arms and hunched towards the door.

They continued on in silence for a few more minutes. Eventually, Jeff glanced over at her. His erstwhile fiancé was staring out the window, clearly wishing she had caught a ride with Abed or stayed at Shirley's. Jeff felt a twinge of remorse for having ruined what had been a really great night for all of them. But how could he apologize without telling her the truth? And if he told her the truth, then what? She wouldn't understand. She _couldn't_ understand. But what was he supposed to do? Keep it a secret from her forever? That would mean keeping it a secret from everyone, including Annie. And considering that Abed and the Dean already knew, it was a minor miracle that the whole world didn't know.

Jeff took a deep breath to try to keep his heart from racing. She would have to find out sooner or later. And if he was being honest with himself, telling Britta didn't scare him half as much as telling Annie. Besides, given their history together, it was only right that she should know before he tried to start anything with Annie. He owed her that.

"I'm in love with Annie."

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her turn towards him. He kept his gaze locked on the road and braced for another punch.

It never came.

"Hmph."

"That's it?"

"Well, what were you expecting?"

"I don't know… yelling, screaming, beheading… I thought you'd at least be surprised…"

"I'm surprised that you admitted it."

"So… what, you _knew_ I was in love with her?"

Britta shrugged. "No, not really. But I'm not blind, Jeff. It's not exactly a secret that you guys have always been into each other."

"Everyone keeps saying that… Was it really that obvious?"

Britta laughed, "Maybe to everyone except you."

Jeff thought about it for a moment. "God. I really am an ass." he said ruefully.

"Yep." Britta nodded.

Jeff shot her a sarcastic smile. "Thanks for the support."

"Don't mention it."

Silence reigned for a few moments before Britta spoke again.

"So when did you figure it out?"

Jeff rand a hand over half his face then up through his hair and let out a small groan. He had been dreading this part.

"Um, April 17th."

"That's… specific…"

"Borchert's lab."

"Borchert's lab? Wait, is that how you…"

"Yeah." Jeff said softly.

"But that was right after you… after we…"

"Yeah." Jeff choked out.

Britta fell silent again, lost in contemplation. Jeff snuck a glance at her, but couldn't read her expression. Was she upset? Indifferent? Sad? Did she hate him now?

"For what it's worth, I didn't know I was in love with her when I asked you to marry me."

Much to Jeff's surprise, Britta started laughing. This was about the last reaction he had expected.

"Uh, what's so funny?"

"You. Me. Us. Annie, all of it."

They arrived at Britta's apartment building; Jeff pulled into a parking spot and put the car in park.

"Look, Jeff, I've known for a long time that you're not in love with me. And that I'm not in love with you. I even knew it when you asked me to marry you."

"You did?"

"Yeah. So that should tell you something about me that I still said yes."

Jeff huffed out a laugh. "We're a mess, aren't we?"

"Worse than Pierce. At least he sorta knew what he wanted."

Jeff grimaced, but nodded. "I'm sure Abed would have something smart to say about this. I bet if we _were_ on a TV show, audiences would be getting sick of the two of us."

Britta hummed agreement. "So, does Annie know?"

Jeff rubbed his palms against his eyes and exhaled loudly. "God, no. At least, I don't think so."

"You have to tell her."

"You don't think I want to? _Not_ telling her has been tearing me apart for three months."

"Then why don't you?"

Jeff closed his eyes and sighed. "Because what happens then?"

"Well…" Britta swallowed, "Jeff, I don't think she'll turn you down… I'm pretty sure Annie's been in love with you ever since the first time you kissed her hand and called her 'milady.'"

Jeff opened his eyes and shifted to face her, an earnest expression displayed on his face. "That's what I'm afraid of."

Britta furrowed her brow in confusion, "Why are you…"

"Because!" Jeff blurted, "Think about what that means. Five years, Britta. Think about everything she's gone th… that I've…" Jeff stopped and took a deep breath. "How… How could I even begin to make that up to her?" Britta opened her mouth to say something, but Jeff continued on. "And even if I did, what happens when I mess it up? You, of all people, know that I'm no good at this sort of stuff. I don't know how to honor, cherish and respect. I'm not caring and supportive. I don't know how to be _that_ guy. You were there, you met my dad. You know that there's a hole inside me where all that stuff is supposed to be. Dammit, I don't know how to _love_ someone." Jeff's voice caught in his throat, and his last words came out as almost a sob. "It's only a matter of time before I screw things up and I can't… I can't lose her."

Jeff turned away from Britta and sank back into his seat. Head tilted back and eyes half-closed, he stared sightlessly out the front of the car. Britta's mouth hung open a ways, and it took her a moment to recover from the barrage of self-loathing Jeff had directed at her.

"Your honesty is kinda freaking me out right now."

Jeff snorted and his eyes closed the rest of the way. "Yeah? Me too."

Britta chewed her lip as she regarded him. She had never seen him like this. She wouldn't have thought it possible, that Jeff Winger could let down his defenses so completely. He looked so… _small_.

Finally, she reached out and took his hand in both of hers.

"Jeff. Look at me."

He didn't respond.

"Please."

Eventually, Jeff stirred, and turned his head to meet her gaze.

"Remember what you told us the first time we got together as a study group? You told us that people can find the good in anything but themselves."

"I made that up."

"So? Sometimes a lie can be used to tell the truth. I'm going to do something now that I normally wouldn't do, and if asked, I'll deny it. I'm going to tell you what makes Jeff Winger awesome."

Jeff's eyebrows raised slowly, and he looked at her intently. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"Jeff Winger is an arrogant ass of a douchebag." Jeff recoiled slightly and Britta gave him a smirk. "That's what he wants you to think. But it's a facade. As hard as he tries, he can't hide the good that's in him. He thinks he doesn't know how to cherish, respect and be caring. But I've seen him do it. I've seen him do it with Annie. And it… it made me jealous sometimes." Britta's mouth trembled, and she broke away from his gaze, staring instead at his hand in between hers. "He thinks he doesn't know how to love someone, but he's willing to torture himself in order to avoid hurting the person he loves." As she raised her eyes again to meet his, a single tear rolled down her cheek. "You're better than you think you are, Jeffrey Winger. You're just designed not to believe it when you hear it from yourself."

It wasn't often that Jeff Winger was struck speechless, but Britta had done exactly that. She let go of his hand and collapsed back into her seat, staring at the floor. Jeff stared at her silently for what felt like an eternity. Eventually he couldn't stand the silence any longer so he said the only thing he could think of.

"It's pronounced façade."

Britta buried her face in her hands and laughed in spite of herself.

"Britta, seriously, thank you. I'm not sure what else to say… Troy was right. You're the best."

Britta looked up and smiled at him, and Jeff leaned in to give her a hug.

"Sorry I was such an ass earlier. And I'm sorry for… I don't know… asking you to marry me…"

Britta huffed out a small laugh and shrugged. "I'm sorry for saying yes."

"Resolved, then?" Jeff asked hopefully.

Britta nodded. "So… what're you gonna do?"

Jeff leaned back and blew out a long breath. "I'm not completely sure. I guess for now I'm just trying to prove to myself that I can, you know, be there for her… that sort of thing."

"Well… let me know if I can help…"

Jeff chuckled, "Thanks but, full disclosure, Abed already knows and has been giving me more help than I need." Jeff made air quotes around the word 'help.'

"Abed knows?" Britta nodded slowly, "Well that explains that questionnaire."

"What questionnaire?"

"A while back he gave me this, like, 30 page questionnaire on how I would feel about different relationships between people we know. He said he was doing crowdsourcing on relationship dynamics for his next movie. But most of the questions were about you and Annie."

Jeff shook his head in amazement. "That sneaky… I'd be willing to bet you were the only one who was crowdsourced."

"Mmm-hmm."

"Maybe that's how you could help me. Have a talk with him and… help him understand that I need to move at my own pace."

"I could do that." She said softly.

"Thank you."

Britta leaned across the center console and gave Jeff a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, Jeff."

"Goodnight."

Britta popped the door open and climbed out of the car, then closed it gently behind her. Jeff watched her until she disappeared into her building. He drove home in silence, replaying their conversation in his head.

When he reached his condo, he stumbled into the kitchen and poured himself a Macallan neat. He was exhausted, but his mind was racing too much for sleep. He dropped heavily onto his couch and swirled the drink absentmindedly. So. One more person knew. Jeff had never been comfortable with expanding his circle of trust, but telling Britta had been one of his greatest worries and he was relieved to have it behind him. He had never expected her to be so… supportive. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off him.

He thought about Annie and the way she had looked that night. The way she giggled at his jokes, or sometimes just looked at him and smiled. Her contagious enthusiasm over something as silly as a trivia game. The smell of her hair, the warmth of her embrace. The dreamy look on her face and the wonderment in her voice as she had whispered "You think I'm beautiful."

Some time later, he faded off to sleep, one leg stretched along the couch, the other hanging off the edge, foot resting on the floor. His head was wedged in a crack between one of the pillows and the back cushion. His drink sat on the coffee table, untouched.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	5. Chapter 5

"Abed, what is this? Why do I have to dress like Albert Einstein at a disco?"

"It's a futuristic outfit. The white hair symbolizes age and venerable wisdom. You're playing the mayor."

"I had no idea." Jeff said dryly as he held up a silver sash that read 'MAYOR' in black lettering. Abed was already ignoring him though, having turned his attention back to helping Garrett and Pavel set up the camera. Jeff slipped the sash on and busied himself with trying to straighten the bushy white eyebrows that were part of his outfit. _Man this wig itches._

"Abed!" Britta came trotting up carrying a bundle of leather straps. "I am _not_ wearing this. And shame on you!"

Jeff eyed the jumble of straps Britta held, "Is that a whip?"

Britta looked at Jeff for the first time and burst out laughing.

Jeff scowled at her, "Sure, laugh it up. Wait'll you read scene 42."

"Oh come on Jeff, it's not all that bad. It shows off your pecs, you must love that."

Jeff's scowl deepened, and he crossed his arms as he continued to glare at Britta. He _did_ love that, but he didn't love being called on it.

Abed finished with the camera and looked at what Britta was holding. "That's not your costume, Britta, that's a horse harness." Jeff's scowl morphed immediately into a grin at the mortified look on Britta's face. "Go see Vickie, she'll be making some adjustments to your outfit as soon as she's done with Annie's."

As Britta went off in search of Vickie, Abed turned back to Jeff. "We're about ready to start the first scene. Annie should be down any minute. Remember, we're shooting out of order, so this is the scene where you meet the alien ambassador."

"Yeah, about that… I'm confused. I thought she was supposed to be my head of security or something. I didn't get a chance to read all…"

"Who, the ambassador?"

"No, An…"

"Good, Annie's here." Abed interrupted, then called out, "Places everyone!"

Jeff turned to look and froze in place. The person walking onto the set wearing a hot pink dress with a billowing skirt and a dark blue beehive wig was Annie alright. Annie Kim.

"Abed. Abed!" Jeff hissed.

Abed gave Jeff an inquisitive look.

"Sidebar!" Jeff tried to keep his voice low, and gestured towards the hallway with his eyes.

Abed followed Jeff out into the hall. "What is it?"

"What is _she_ doing here?"

Abed glanced back over his shoulder. "Annie? I told you she was in this."

"I thought you meant _our_ Annie. You said we're supposed to…" Jeff cut himself off before saying the word 'kiss.'

Abed tilted his head and peered at Jeff. "Is there a problem?"

"No I…" Jeff hesitated, and tried to force the disappointment out of his voice, "I just thought I was supposed to be working with our Annie… that's all."

"Hey guys!" Annie called out as she came jogging up the hallway behind Jeff. "Sorry I'm late… car trouble." She giggled as she got a look at Jeff's outfit. "Nice look, Jeff. I'll go get changed!" She rushed past in a whirlwind and disappeared through the door.

Abed gave Jeff a knowing smile. "You are." He spun on his heel and walked back towards the set. "Everyone to first positions!"

_Damn you, Abed._

Annie shifted uncomfortably in her tinfoil bra. Despite Abed's insistence that it was a staple of science fiction and Jeff's assurances that she should take it as a compliment, she still wasn't happy about how much cleavage the black leotard under her bra was showing. Britta stood next to her, fumbling with her weird binocular goggles. Jeff and Abed were leaning over a monitor examining the last take they had done. Abed was gesturing emphatically and pointed to the screen, giving Jeff some kind of instructions for how to play the scene the way he wanted. The fact that Jeff was leaning over was causing his shirt to hang open. Annie caught herself staring at his chest and gave herself a shake.

"Only one more scene before we break for lunch, right?" Britta asked.

"Yeah, I think we break after the shootout. I don't know if I'll have time to eat though. Abed just gave me the script for my last two scenes. I feel so unprepared."

"Don't worry so much Annie, this isn't exactly Casablanca."

Annie let out an offended gasp. "Britta! That doesn't mean we shouldn't do our best! We're doing this for Abed."

Britta rolled her eyes and resumed fumbling with her goggles.

Abed and Jeff finished at the monitor and Jeff headed back over towards her and Britta. Annie flushed slightly and pretended to fix something on her laser gun. She hadn't been alone with Jeff since Shirley's kitchen, and had no clue what to expect when it finally happened. She had been sure he was about to try to kiss her when Britta had come walking in, but then the rest of the night and today he had been acting like nothing had happened. She had to catch herself in order to keep from making a frustrated noise. She should have given up trying to figure out Jeff Winger a long time ago.

There was something else though… something she couldn't quite put her finger on from the night before. It was like trying to remember a dream after you woke up, but she couldn't shake the feeling that it was important. Britta walking in on them had probably been a good thing though. She wasn't sure what she would have done if Jeff _had_ tried to kiss her. Shoving him away would've created one kind of mess, but letting him do it would've created a whole different one.

Lately she'd been feeling like they were as close or closer than they'd ever been. She wasn't sure if she was imagining it, but he somehow seemed… reliable. There were certain things she had never talked to Jeff about because he'd just roll his eyes and make a sarcastic comment or just dismiss it entirely. But recently it was like she could go to him with anything, no matter how small. He still rolled his eyes sometimes… but he was never dismissive. Anyway, she needed some time to sort out her feelings, and the last thing she needed right now was to be kissing Jeff.

Abed called for action, and Annie snapped to attention. Jeff launched into his showdown with the leader of the robot army, and soon Annie was shielding her eyes from the falling Styrofoam being dropped from above to simulate the start of hostilities. "I'll see you in Hell!" Jeff yelled at the scene's climax.

"Cut!" Abed called. "Great take, everyone, I think that does it. Let's break early. Starburns! Get me that light meter!"

As Abed continued barking orders at the crew, Annie went over to her bag and pulled out the new scene scripts Abed had given her, then walked back over to where Jeff and Britta were.

"Sorry Britta," Jeff was saying with exaggerated seriousness. "I've gotta take this." He held his phone up to his ear and strolled away casually.

Britta huffed and turned towards Annie. "Can you help me pick up lunch from Shirley's? Jeff just" she made air quotes, "got an important call."

Annie glanced longingly at her script, but nodded and walked with Britta over to the cafeteria. Several bags full of sandwiches and chips awaited them on the counter. Shirley, however, was nowhere to be seen. They fished through the bags and counted the contents to confirm they had enough for the entire cast and crew. Just when they were about to gather everything up and head back, Shirley emerged from the kitchen wearing a concerned look on her face.

"Shirley? Is everything ok?" Annie asked.

Shirley frowned and shook her head. "I just got off the phone with my mom. My dad is in the hospital."

"Aww, Shirley!" Annie ran around the counter and wrapped Shirley in a hug, with Britta joining her a moment later.

The three women stood together for what seemed like several minutes before Shirley pulled back, her face lined with tears. "Thanks, you two. My mom didn't really have much information yet, but she sounded worried. I think… I think I need to head home. I wouldn't make a very good village councilwoman right now…"

Annie fought back tears of her own as Britta said "It's ok, Shirley, we'll tell Abed and Jeff."

They went in for one last hug before Shirley gathered her things and left. Annie and Britta collected the bags of food and walked somberly back to the movie set.

As they entered, the crew cheered at the arrival of food, but Annie and Britta weren't sharing the mood. They pulled the boys aside and told them the news. Abed looked crestfallen, but Jeff's expression was unreadable. The four of them joined together in a group hug before each broke off to find a distraction to take their mind off Shirley's news.

Annie retreated to her chair in the corner with a turkey sandwich and her scene scripts. She chewed absentmindedly while she read through the first new scene, making periodic notes in the margins. Her character was seriously wounded while saving Jeff's life in the battle, and this scene took place in the infirmary. The hospital-like setting kept bringing Shirley back to her mind, so she put it aside and picked up the other new scene - the last one they'd be shooting that day.

The scene number indicated that it was one that would be towards the end of the movie, and by this point her character had recovered from her injury. It was some sort of big emotional scene between her character and Jeff's. Apparently her character had been in love with Jeff's for a long time, and her near-death in the battle had made him realize that he felt the same way. The dialogue was a little over the top, but she'd get to yell at Jeff, so that should be fun. She reached the end of the scene and almost choked on a bite of her sandwich. She made a strangled noise in the back of her throat and her eyes were threatening to pop out of their sockets.

The last line of the scene read simply: Mayor and Security Chief kiss.

Annie jumped up from her seat and franticly scanned the room for Abed. She spotted him at the makeshift video station, staring at a screen and with oversized headphones covering a large portion of his head. She dropped the remnants of her sandwich on the chair and hurried over to him. He didn't notice her at first, so she tapped him insistently on the shoulder.

Abed turned and pulled the headphones down around his neck. "Hey Annie."

"Abed, sidebar!" she hissed, and gestured towards the hallway. Abed made a face, but followed her out the door.

As soon as the door latched closed, Annie rounded on him. She shoved the last scene in his face and the pitch of her voice threatened to shatter glass as she exclaimed "Mayor and Security Chief kiss?!"

Abed winced, glanced at the paper, then back at Annie. "It's common in movies, Annie." He said with a shrug. "I'd rather focus on the robot battles too, but romance helps the audience to…"

"Abed!" His mouth clamped shut as Annie cut him off, "I don't care about the robot battles!"

Abed's recoiled as if this was the most offensive thing she could have said. He visibly calmed himself before saying carefully "Ok Annie. There are always creative differences between a director and the cast. What is your concern with the scene?"

"My concern?! My concern is that you…!" She clenched the script tighter in her fist and shook it in Abed's face. "You have me kissing Jeff!" she almost shouted.

Abed's face went blank and he eyed her carefully. "Why is that a problem?" he asked innocently.

Annie stopped short, her anger fading into discomfort. "Because…" she glanced around nervously, "you know about our history together…"

Abed tilted his head as he regarded her. "I know you kissed each other over four years ago. I know you used to have a crush on him. But you also told me you weren't in love with him. Is there something else I should know?"

Annie's mouth opened and closed soundlessly as she scrambled to think of a reply.

"It's just a movie, Annie. You're playing a character. Jeff is playing a character. It doesn't mean anything."

Annie's mind was racing. It _was_ just a movie, and no, it didn't _have_ to mean anything… But things with Jeff were never that simple. Every time she thought she knew where she stood and what she felt, the universe, or sometimes just Jeff, threw her a curveball. True, she wasn't in love with Jeff, but how could she tell Abed that she was afraid kissing him would reopen all those old feelings she had worked so hard and painfully to bury? He'd been acting differently recently, but there had been other times she thought he was finally coming around only to have it brutally shoved in her face. She wasn't sure she could handle going through that again.

Abed continued on, "We are but poor players that strut and fret our hour upon the stage, and then are heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

Annie looked at Abed in shock. "Did you just quote Macbeth?"

Abed smiled at her. "Shakespeare was the Spielberg of his time."

Annie huffed out a small laugh. "I don't know…"

"Annie, this is a critical scene for my movie. Reviews of my early films all said they lack an emotional component. This is my chance to show them I can do it. And if it makes you feel any better, Jeff doesn't think this is a big deal."

_Oh great, what does __**that**__ mean?_ Annie let out a long sigh. "Ok, Abed. But you still should have told me about this beforehand."

"Sorry."

Annie cocked her head to the side and gave Abed a playful look. "You know, the way you used that Macbeth quote? You indirectly called yourself an idiot."

Abed laughed. "Yeah, I died a little inside when I said it."

Annie smiled widely at him, and moved to head back to the set.

"Oh, Annie, one more thing though." She stopped and looked at him expectantly. "The kiss may not mean anything, but your director needs and expects it to be passionate." Abed turned and went back through the doorway, leaving Annie gaping in the hallway.

_Darn you, Abed!_

"Years!" Annie shouted. "I've waited years for you to feel for me the way I feel for you!" Jeff flinched, and a thoroughly miserable expression covered his face. "I had to nearly be killed for you to realize that you love me, and now you're telling me that we still can't be together?!" Annie projected as much anger as she could into her lines, it helped to slightly quell the grapefruit-sized butterflies that were frolicking around her stomach.

A light breeze shook the leaves of the trees surrounding them. The sun hung low on the horizon, casting long shadows everywhere. Jeff held his hands up in a placating gesture. "My dear, I'm sorry. Truly I am. But this war… we both may die tomorrow. We don't know…"

"If we may die tomorrow, then all the more reason for us to _live_ today!" Annie said fervently.

Jeff looked around helplessly. "My dear, I wish I could. Truly. I never knew until now how much I wished it."

The butterflies scourging her stomach began to work faster. _How is he so calm?!_ "If you wish it, my liege, then why deny it?" Annie pleaded. "There are so few chances for happiness in this world. Let's take this chance together."

Jeff hung his head dejectedly. "My dear, I cannot let you take such a chance. Not with me."

Tears began welling in Annie's eyes. "Why?" she whispered.

Jeff looked as though his heart was breaking open inside his chest. "Because my dear… I…"

Annie stepped close to him and took his hands in hers. "Tell me…" she begged.

"I am not good for you, my dear. You are young and beautiful, I am an old man. I could never give you everything you need. I do not deserve one such as you." The raw pain in Jeff's voice more than doubled the effort it was taking for Annie to keep her face calm.

She gazed at him, a profound look of sadness spreading over her. "Now we come to it. You think you are unworthy of me. Unable to provide me with what I want or need when all I've ever wanted or needed is your love."

They were getting close now, and the butterflies in her stomach had apparently taken up the drums.

"You think you're protecting me," Annie continued, "but really you're telling me that you don't respect me enough to decide for myself what is good for me." Annie's cheeks were on fire, and she almost giggled hysterically. _Keep it together Annie…_

Jeff stared at her, his eyes tormented, but unable to speak.

"Very well," she said, letting go of his hands and dropping to kneel before him. "It has been my life's honor to serve you my liege. If you will not let me live together _with_ you, then I will die _for_ you." She raised her fist in salute, then stood and turned in one motion, walking briskly away from him.

"No." she heard him say determinedly from behind her. His long legs quickly closed the gap between them; he caught her by the elbow, spinning her around. She only caught a brief glimpse of him, his face a mixture of pain and frenzied desire, before his mouth closed around hers. Her eyes snapped shut and her mouth opened involuntarily in response to his. His arms wrapped around her almost roughly, clutching her close. It had been over four years since she had last kissed him, but it all came rushing back in an instant. The heat of his touch, the taste of his mouth, the slightly musky scent of his cologne… and the passion. This couldn't just be acting could it? Their tongues slid together and all attempts at rational thought flew from her head. She inhaled sharply as the world spun around her, and her toes tried to curl up in her shoes. One arm snaked up his back until she had a handful of his hair, the other she locked around his waist, so that she was holding him just as tightly as he held her.

Some time later, she wasn't sure how long, she realized that someone was shouting.

"For the last time, I said cut!"

Reality slowly returned to her and she remembered where she was. And how many people were watching. It took all her strength, but she was finally able to pull away from Jeff. Her knees were trembling so badly though that she still had to lean against him for support. She looked around sheepishly while trying to hide the fact that she was gasping for air. Almost the entire crew wore looks of varying levels of embarrassment. Abed, however, looked annoyed as he walked up to them.

He looked back and forth between them and shook his head slowly. "You know, these camera batteries only last four hours. I know I told you I wanted passion, but this is a family movie."

Annie stole a quick glance at Jeff, and was gratified to see the dazed look on his face. She opened her mouth to apologize to Abed but no sound would come out, so she just shrugged and looked at him guiltily.

Abed arched an eyebrow, then turned back towards the camera. "Ok, let's get another take. We're going to lose the light!"

_Oh dear._

Jeff sat on his couch, surrounded by piles of forgotten midterms. He stared without seeing at the Rockies game playing on his TV. All his attempts at thinking about something other than Annie had ended in abysmal failure.

Prior to the climactic scene of the day, Jeff had been surprised at how much fun he'd been having. The dialogue was a bit cheesy sometimes, and he wasn't exactly a science fiction fan, but something about doing something so ridiculous with his friends just seemed… right. The news Annie and Britta had shared with them about Shirley had been the one dark cloud on the day, and Jeff quickly checked his phone to see if his friend had emailed him back yet.

No response. Jeff dropped his phone on a stack of midterms at his side.

He leaned back and gazed at the ceiling. _"Years! I've waited years for you to feel for me the way I feel for you!" ….. "you're telling me that we still can't be together?!" ….. "all I've ever wanted or needed is your love." ….. "You think you're protecting me, but really you're telling me that you don't respect me enough to decide for myself what is good for me."_ A movie script it may have been, but hearing Annie say those words… Jeff hadn't had to do any acting in order to inject pain into his voice.

He'd been a nervous wreck leading up to the scene, and then all the way up to the kiss. Annie had been so calm and composed, he must have looked like a fool in comparison.

And then… the kiss. It was something he'd been wanting to do for a while, but when it happened… He had put everything into that kiss. All his pent-up desires, his secret longings, every touch, every smile, every look between them in the four years since their lips had last met, all his love for this silly, amazing woman. Good God, how had he allowed four years to go by without kissing her? And why had he ever convinced himself that kissing her was a bad thing?

Jeff's phone buzzed twice in quick succession, indicating a text message. It buzzed again as he reached over to pick it up.

_2 Messages  
Britta (2)_

Jeff opened the text window and read the messages Britta had sent. Then he read them again. And again.

_"Watching some of todays fotage with Abed."_

_"Saw your last seen wiht Annie. OMG! You better get her a pregnency test!"_

Jeff groaned and ran his hands through his hair. So much for subtlety. He hadn't exactly forgotten that they were shooting a movie, but in the moment, everything else had disappeared except for her. Even on the subsequent takes, it had been difficult to control himself. Abed had eventually stopped doing reshoots of the entire scene and had them only doing takes of the kiss. He needed to find some way to thank Abed for that.

His phone started buzzing again. He rolled his eyes at the expected snarky text from Britta, but quickly realized he was getting a call. He looked at the display screen.

_Oh no._

_Call From:  
Annie Cell_

Jeff started to panic. They hadn't really spoken after the shooting had finished. He wasn't sure what they could have said… but now she was calling him. What could she want? There was no way this was a casual 'how ya doin' phone call. The possibilities multiplied in his head, creating an Annie fractal. He realized the call was about to go to voicemail, so he hastily picked up the phone and resigned himself to the coming questions about what the day had meant to him.

"Hey Ann…"

_"Are you watching this?!"_ Annie exclaimed through the phone.

Jeff could not have been more confused. "Wha…?"

_"Channel seven. Now!"_

Jeff fumbled for the remote and flipped the channel.

"…caught fire, creating quite a show and alarming morning commuters." The picture on the screen was showing some shaky cell phone footage of what looked to be a burning river. "Emergency crews quelled the blaze and no one was injured, however, maritime traffic for one of the busiest ports in the southern hemisphere was disrupted for the better part of the morning." The screen changed to a more recent shot that looked to be from a helicopter. Emergency boats clustered around a dark spot in the water, and black smoke still hung in the air.

Jeff furrowed his brow in confusion. He could see a familiar looking bridge in the background, but couldn't place it. The shot changed to a different angle, and Jeff immediately recognized Sydney's famous opera house. He was about to ask Annie why she was showing this to him, when the shot cut back to the news anchor. The words died on his lips and Jeff's mouth hung open in shock. The story headline displayed at the bottom of the screen read: "Local man arrested in Australia."

"In a bizarre twist, actor LeVar Burton was also aboard the vessel, though there is no word at this time if he has been charged with any wrongdoing."

_Troy._


	6. Chapter 6

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Looking back, he really wasn't sure how it had taken so long. There had been a few near misses over the years, even one time when he thought it was about to happen, but then… After so long, it had started getting into his head. Would it happen? Was it supposed to happen? Did he really want it to happen? But now that it _had_ happened, he realized that it had been inevitable.

_You couldn't stay in Colorado forever._

After forty years of never leaving, of all the reasons for him to finally get outside the state, this was just about the most bizarre one he could imagine. Vacation, college, job, family… any of those he could've seen as potential reasons to leave. But this? And of all the places he could've been going, well, Sydney was a pretty cool place to visit for your first time out of state, just not the one he'd expected.

_This __**is**__ family you're leaving for. And it's sort of a job…_

As shocked as Jeff had been when Annie had called him and showed him the news report of Troy's incident and arrest, he'd been even more surprised a few days later when he'd received a call from an Australian lawyer.

_"Mr. Winger?"_ An Australian accent emanated from the voice on the other end.

"Yeah?"

_"My name is Malcolm Bryce. I represent a Mr. Troy Barnes. My client has requested to speak with you."_

"Troy? Um, ok." Jeff heard some shuffling in the background, followed by the buzz of some conversation he couldn't make out.

Finally, a familiar voice spoke hurriedly into the phone. _"Jeff?! Is that you?"_

"Troy, what's going on? What happened to you?" Jeff heard some more muffled conversation on the other end.

_"I can't talk about it here."_ Troy whispered. _"They're watching me. This guy won't leave, and he keeps asking me questions about the fire."_

"He's your lawyer, Troy. He needs to know what happened if he's going to defend you."

_"But what if he tells someone?"_

"He can't tell anyone. It's called attorney-client privilege, or whatever the Australian equivalent is."

Troy was silent for a few moments before saying in a shaky voice, _"I don't know, Jeff. I don't trust these guys. Everyone's mad at me, and they all talk funny."_

_He's scared._ "Troy, listen to me. It's going to be ok. I'm sure this lawyer knows what he's doing."

_"How do you know that?"_ Troy sounded desperate. _"This guy said I have kangaroos loose in the top paddock. I don't have any kangaroos, Jeff. __**Or**__ a paddock. I need your help."_

Jeff felt the urge to roll his eyes and sigh, but his friend was frightened, and in serious trouble. "Ok, Troy. Anything. What do you need me to do?"

_"I need you to be my lawyer."_

Jeff had just about dropped the phone in surprise. He had tried to convince Troy that he didn't know Australian law, that he hadn't been in a courtroom in over a year, that this was about the worst idea in the history of ideas… But Troy wouldn't be swayed, and in the end, Jeff couldn't tell him no.

Jeff had gone to the Dean and explained the situation. The Dean had wanted to help, but it wasn't until Jeff came up with the idea of sending his students out to do "independent studies" of an actual courtroom in lieu of class that he was finally given official leave. Jeff had been worried about how to pay for the plane ticket, tickets to Sydney were never cheap, and to leave on short notice made it just that much worse. But just as he had resigned himself to adding a huge chunk to his monthly credit card balance, he had received another unexpected phone call.

_"Mr. Winger, this is Gilbert Lawson._

"Gilbert? Hey… how are you?"

_"I won't lie to you Mr. Winger, I am still struggling with the death of my brother. However, I am aware of the terms of his will, and the predicament your friend, Troy, currently finds himself in. I am also aware that he has asked you to serve as his attorney in his upcoming legal proceedings."_

"Uh, yeah… but, how do you know all that?"

_"After my brother's death, Mr. Stone informed me of the contents of his will. I took the liberty of tracking Mr. Barnes' journey in order to ensure it went as, smoothly, as possible. My brother considered you and your study group to be his closest friends. Were it not for your actions, I would never have received my inheritance. But more importantly, I would have never reconciled with my brother before he died. That is a gift for which I can never repay you. However, your friend now finds himself in some difficultly as the result of my brother's will, and I would like to offer you my assistance."_

And so now, here he was, on a first class flight to Los Angeles, cruising at 32,000 feet in a metal tube of death also known as a 757. Jeff had never been out of Colorado, and thus had never been on an airplane, and if he had to go another 40 years before doing it again, that would be fine by him. Jeff's heart was pounding in his chest and sweat beaded on his brow. He had insisted on an aisle seat so that he wouldn't be forced to look out the window, but that didn't seem to be helping much. He glanced around the first class cabin, wondering how all these people were so calm. _Oh sure, we could plunge miles to our deaths in a gigantic fireball at any moment. No big deal! Maybe I can sail back with Troy._

A flight attendant passed by, and Jeff caught her attention. "Excuse me, miss? Yes, how much longer is the flight?"

She gave him a confused look. "Sir, we only took off twenty-five minutes ago. The flight time is approximately two hours and thirty minutes. If you'd like, you can track the progress on the display here." She tapped the screen in front of Jeff a few times and brought up a display that showed the plane's heading, speed, location, miles to destination and estimated arrival time.

Jeff thanked the flight attendant and she went on about her business. He stared at the display, watching the "miles to destination" tick down at an agonizingly slow rate. The longer he watched, the slower the number moved. At one point he even thought it had started to go up. Fearful of losing his mind, he decided to try reading a book, as many others in the cabin were doing. He pulled his carry-on bag out and fished out the copy of Sycamore Row he had brought along. He flipped open to the first page and began reading.

Several minutes later, after having re-read the first sentence approximately a hundred times, he realized this was not going to work either. He pulled out his headphones and plugged them in to the slot on his armrest, and tapped the display to bring up the TV and movie menu. He flipped through the menu several times and didn't see anything appealing, so he unplugged his headphones and set the display back to the flight status.

Just then, the plane hit some turbulence, causing the cabin to shake. Jeff gripped the armrests tightly and closed his eyes while he waited for it to pass. Suddenly he felt a hand lay firmly on his left leg, and he realized it had been bouncing involuntarily. He opened his eyes and looked apologetically at the passenger next to him.

"Jeff, we haven't even been in the air forty-five minutes, and you're already driving me crazy."

"Sorry, Annie. I've never been on a plane before."

Annie rolled her eyes and closed the book she had been reading. "Yeah, I noticed. And even if I hadn't, you've already said that about fifty times today. I never figured Jeff Winger would be afraid of flying."

Jeff gave her a sidelong glare. "I'm not afraid of flying. I'm afraid of plummeting thousands of feet to my death."

Annie sighed and shook her head slightly. "It's the safest means of travel, don't be such a baby."

Jeff arched an eyebrow at her. "And who told you that? The airlines? Like they don't have an agenda."

Annie groaned and pressed her fists to her eyes. "_Everyone_ knows that." She shifted in her seat to look at him directly. "The next flight is almost fifteen hours long. If you're going to be like this the entire way, we're _both_ going to be miserable. Can't you just focus on the fact that we're on an all-expense paid trip to Australia to save our friend?"

"I'm trying. If you've got any other ideas, by all means let me know. Anyway, you're the one who insisted on coming." Not that Jeff had put up much of a fight. Gilbert had offered to buy plane tickets and provide accommodations for anyone in the group who wanted to go. Shirley, however, was dealing with her father's health problems, and couldn't leave her family. Britta couldn't miss any time from work or she'd get fired. Abed had been distraught that he couldn't go, but like Britta, he couldn't miss time from work without losing his job, and he needed to save money for his trip to the Inspector Spacetime set. Abed had gone with them to the airport to see them off, and had incessantly peppered Jeff with questions that he wanted him to ask Troy when he saw him. He also had given Jeff a small package that he said was for Troy to have when he set sail again.

Annie had been the only one besides Jeff who could get away. Not that internships offered vacation time, but well, sometimes being the boss's favorite had its advantages.

"Excuse me." The stewardess said politely from the aisle, "We're starting our beverage service now, would either of you like anything to drink?"

"My friend would like some scotch." Annie said immediately.

_**This**__ could work._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hurry up, Jeff," Annie was bouncing impatiently on her toes, "we don't have much time and I've never been to L.A. before."

Jeff gave her a smirk. "You still haven't been to L.A., Annie. This is the airport, it doesn't count."

Annie made a frustrated noise, grabbed Jeff by the hand and started pulling him down the concourse. Jeff still had a comfortable buzz going from the scotch he'd consumed on the flight, so he allowed himself to be led along. In his current mood, he found Annie's insistent impatience adorable.

Jeff would've been fine with spending the layover at a bar, or even at the gate for their next flight, but naturally that hadn't been good enough for Annie. "I still can't believe you researched things to do at the Los Angeles Airport." Jeff teased. Annie just lowered her head and pulled harder.

Eventually they ended up outside and arrived at a structure that looked like a UFO that had landed on four long tentacles, called the Theme Building. They signed in with the police before taking a small elevator up to the observation deck.

Annie darted over to the glass to take in the view of the airport and Jeff strolled up slowly behind her. "Isn't this cool? Look, you can see the entire airport and all the planes taking off and landing. Ooh, and over there you can see downtown L.A." Jeff looked around slowly and mumbled agreement. He spotted a nearby bench and went to sit down, dropping his bag on the side, stretching out his legs and spreading his arms over the back of the bench. Annie gave him a curious look. "We're about to be on a plane for fifteen hours, you might want to walk around a little."

Jeff shrugged. "I'm good." Annie eyed him for a moment, then pulled out her camera and began making a circle around the outer ring of glass, snapping pictures as she went. Jeff stared out at the airport, watching as planes taxied to and from gates, and occasionally took off and landed. He had to admit, it was kinda cool.

After a few minutes he realized that Annie hadn't returned, so he sat up and looked around for her. He spotted her about a quarter of the way around the observation deck, fiddling with her camera. She was wearing a white polo shirt with khaki shorts and tennis shoes, and had her sunglasses propped on the top of her head. It was evening, and the sun was dropping in the sky behind her, the horizon lit up in myriad of red, orange and pinkish hues. She was focused on her task, her face a mixture concentration and determination that was just so… Annie. Jeff stood and pulled out his phone, walking over until he was about fifteen feet away from her. He opened up the camera and surreptitiously snapped a photo of her with the sunset in the background. He stuffed his phone back in his pocket and walked over to her, clearing his throat to announce his approach.

"Hey, whatcha up to?"

Annie glanced up quickly, then back at her camera. "This glass is too reflective. It's messing up my pictures." She flipped through a few more and grumbled at the ghost images that appeared in each.

Jeff looked around at the glass. It was only about eight feet high, and there was nothing above it. An idea popped into his head. "I think I know how to fix that."

"Hmm-aahhh!" Annie yelped as Jeff grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up so that her head was above the top of the glass. She squirmed and kicked, but he held her firm. "Jeff! _What are you doing?_ This is embarrassing!"

"Well, then you better take your pictures quickly."

Annie hesitated, then began snapping pictures. Once she had what she wanted, he set her down and she flipped quickly through the results. She let out a satisfied hum, then took off for a spot back towards the bench Jeff had been using. "Come on, I want to get some from over here!"

Jeff muttered under his breath, but followed her, already starting to regret what he had just signed himself up for. After three more photo spots, Jeff's arms were starting to burn.

"You know, you're not as light as you look."

Annie gave him an amused look. "You should be thanking me."

Jeff arched his eyebrows. "And why is that?"

"You were the one complaining about not getting to the gym this morning. Anyway, it was your idea." She turned her back to him and readied her camera. "Come on. Up."

"I've got a better idea." Jeff knelt down and tapped himself on the shoulder. Annie stared blankly at him for a moment, then realized his intent. She climbed gingerly onto his shoulders and held on tightly as he stood up. Jeff held onto her knees to steady her as he walked slowly around the edge of the observation deck. He nodded in greeting at the other visitors that were eyeing them curiously, while Annie obliviously went about her photographic endeavors.

When they reached the spot where they had started, Jeff asked Annie if he could see her camera.

"Hmm? Uh, ok." She handed it down without thinking.

Jeff took it and turned to a woman standing nearby with her husband and two kids. "Excuse me, but would you mind taking a picture of us?"

"Jeff! No!" Annie hissed as she started kicking him lightly in protest.

Jeff chuckled as he handed the camera to the woman. "You should probably stop kicking me, unless you want to get dropped." The kicks immediately stopped. "Good. Now smile!" Jeff grinned at the camera as the woman took a couple pictures of them, and then handed the camera back. He knelt down and let Annie clamber off his shoulders.

She took her camera back and swatted him on the chest as she glared at him. "_Not_ cool. I'm going to delete these."

Jeff matched her gaze, "No you won't." he said smugly.

Their staring contest went on for a few seconds until Annie faltered and quickly turned away. "Whatever, we need to start heading back. We have to get over to the international terminal, and I want to stop at a gift shop."

They made their way down from the observation deck and back into the airport proper. They had to go through security again before entering the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Annie spied a gift shop and headed over.

"You must be the only person on the planet who wants a souvenir from an airport layover."

Annie rolled her eyes. "Hush. I promised Abed I'd get him a Hollywood t-shirt."

"Oh." Jeff felt slightly chastened. "That actually makes sense. I'll meet you at the counter, I'm going to get some gum." Annie hummed agreement and started flipping through the t-shirt racks.

Jeff went over to the counter and picked out a couple packs of gum and some Life Savers mints. Next to the register was a stand with various magnets depicting locations from around L.A. He was spinning the stand around lazily when something caught his eye. On the counter next to the stand was a miniature metal replica of the LAX Theme Building they had gone to. Jeff glanced over at Annie to make sure she was still busy looking at t-shirts, then grabbed the replica and tossed it in with the rest of his purchase. He needed a paperweight for his office anyway. He quickly paid and stuffed his items into his bag, then waited for Annie.

Annie found a shirt that combined the famous Hollywood sign with stars from the Walk of Fame, and a movie camera. After she had paid, they made their way down to the gate their flight would be leaving from.

Annie checked the information listed at the gate. "Perfect! We should be boarding within the next 15 minutes or so."

Jeff wandered over to the window and gaped at the plane that was moored at their gate. "Holy crap."

Annie drew up beside him and said in a wondering voice "Yeah, it's an Airbus A380. The largest passenger liner in the world."

Jeff was still gawking at their plane when the boarding announcement came. Since they were in first class, Jeff and Annie were among the first to board. They walked down a special jet way to the upper deck and entered the first class area, where they both froze in shock. Each "seat" was actually its own little suite, complete with its own television, storage areas, and ottoman. The seat could sit up straight, recline, or convert into a fully flat bed.

"This is bigger than my apartment above Dildopolis was." Annie squeaked.

"Annie, look over there!" Jeff pointed down in the opposite direction from the first class area. "There's a lounge and a bar! _This_ sort of flying I could get used to."

They went to their seats and got themselves situated. By the time the plane took off, each of them was lost in exploring the amenities that went with their own slice of space. As soon the fasten seatbelt light turned off, Annie popped over to Jeff's pod.

"Check it out, the seat gives you a massage." Jeff adjusted the massage setting to max and reclined his chair. "Uhhhhh… This is amazing."

Annie flashed a playful smile. "Nice to see you've acquired an appreciation for flying."

Jeff arched an eyebrow at her. "I have an appreciation for luxury, Annie. And this," he stretched out all the way, "is luxury."

"No more fears about plummeting thousands of feet to your death?" she asked sweetly.

"If I die, at least I'll die comfortable." He sat up and returned the chair to its regular position. "Let's go check out the lounge."

In the lounge, they each ordered drinks, scotch for Jeff and a vodka and cranberry juice for Annie. Naturally, everything was free for first class passengers. They sipped their drinks while chatting with a few Australian passengers who were on their way home. Jeff ended up talking to a lawyer, and took the opportunity to mine him for as much information as he could get on the Australian justice system and environmental laws. His Australian counterpart was amazed to learn that Jeff would be representing "the guy who set Sydney Harbor on fire" which was apparently all anyone was talking about. He gave Jeff his card and offered him free consultation if he needed it, insisting that getting to be involved with this case would be payment enough.

Jeff took the card and was thanking him for the offer when he spotted Annie talking to a tall, thin guy with wavy blond hair. He was wearing baggy shorts and a Spandex shirt that showed off his abs. Annie was sipping her drink and laughing occasionally, and Jeff did _not_ like the way she was twirling her hair. Jeff excused himself from his new lawyer friend and made his way over to Annie.

"Jeff!" she said brightly as he approached. "This is Julian, he's a professional surfer! How cool is that?"

"It's… the coolest." Jeff said through a strained smile.

"Julian, this is my friend Jeff."

"G'day, Jeff!" Julian said through a thick Australian accent. He stuck out his hand and his eyes widened a bit as Jeff gave him a crushing handshake. "Annie tells me that you're the lawyer for that guy who set fire to Sydney Harbor. Shame that. But it gave me some great ideas for my next surfing video."

_He's not that good looking._ "Yeah… he's a friend of ours from college. Just going to try to help out however I can."

"Right on… wait," he gestured between Jeff and Annie, "you guys went to college together?"

_His nose is too wide. And no way are those teeth real._ "Yup. I faked a bachelor's degree, got caught, and had to go back for the real thing. Annie, they're about to serve dinner."

"Oh." Annie jumped slightly in surprise. "Um, ok…" Jeff grabbed her hand and started leading her back to their seats. "It was nice meeting you, Julian!" she called out.

"No worries, Annie. Give me a ring if you're looking for something to do in Sydney." Jeff heard him say as they retreated. _She got his number?!_

They got back to their seats and Annie looked around in confusion. "I thought you said they were about to serve dinner."

"They are." Jeff waved over one of the flight attendants and asked for the dinner menu. Annie eyed Jeff suspiciously as the attendant went off to fulfill Jeff's request. "You should be more careful, Annie." Jeff forced himself to keep his tone light. "I might not always be around to rescue you."

"_Rescue_ me?" Annie laughed in disbelief. "From what? Interesting conversation with a cute guy?"

Jeff looked back in the direction of the lounge. "Seriously? What is it with you and hippie, hacky sack surfers?"

Annie looked thoughtful for a moment. "Huh… I guess he does remind me a little of Vaughn…."

"You're not really going to call that guy are you?" Jeff asked incredulously.

"Well, I wasn't…" Annie gave him a coy smile, "but now that I know it bothers you…"

Jeff rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Can we just eat please?"

They ate together in Annie's pod, Jeff dining on Spanner Crab and Harissa tartlets, and Annie having selected the ham crostini with dates and ricotta cheese. They washed their food down with wines suggested by the in-flight sommelier, and discussed Troy's situation and the likelihood of a trial. When they finished eating they'd been in the air for about two hours, and it was the equivalent of 11:00 p.m. Greendale time.

Annie stretched and yawned. "I'm starting to get tired. I might just read for a while and go to sleep."

"Ok." Jeff nodded. "Or… if you wanted… we could go to my place and watch a movie."

Annie laughed, then shrugged and agreed. They settled into Jeff's pod and flipped through the available movies, Jeff advocating for "Captain America – The Winter Soldier," and Annie wanting to watch "How to Train Your Dragon 2." Eventually they compromised on "Begin Again," a comedy-drama starring Mark Ruffalo. Annie hummed happily as they started the movie, and Jeff came to the realization that this had been her plan all along. _This is why she's dangerous._

After a few minutes, it became clear that the seat just wasn't wide enough for both of them. Annie paused the movie and stood up. "You're not leaving are you?" Jeff tried to hide his disappointment.

"No, I'll be right back." She went over to her pod and closed the privacy screen. A minute later she emerged, wearing the pajamas the airline had provided and clutching a blanket and a pillow.

"Scooch." She motioned for him to move to the center of the seat. Jeff slid over and then reclined the seat all the way at her direction. Annie plopped herself down in his lap and stretched out along the length of him, pausing to lay the blanket over them both. She adjusted so that her right side was laying on Jeff and her back was to the wall. The pillow she placed in the crook above his shoulder. She laid her head softly on the pillow, curled her legs slightly, and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Comfortable?" Jeff asked with just a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Mmmm." Jeff started the movie again and they watched in silence for several minutes. Eventually Jeff's left arm, which was trapped underneath Annie, started to fall asleep. He lifted her up slightly to get his arm out, and wrapped it around her, resting his hand at her waist. Annie nuzzled closer to him in response and her head slid off the pillow onto his shoulder.

Jeff tried as best he could to follow the movie, but having Annie so close made it difficult. He hoped that the fact that his heart was beating faster than normal wasn't too obvious…

Somewhere past the halfway point in the movie, Annie's breathing had become slow and even, and Jeff realized that she was asleep. He shifted his head slightly and watched her, marveling at how smooth her porcelain skin was. Her face was serene, though Jeff couldn't be sure if the slight smile on her lips was real or just a trick of his imagination.

Annie shifted slightly in her sleep; her left hand moved up to rest on his chest, and the top of her head pressed lightly against his neck and lower jaw. Jeff leaned his head gently against hers and decided he never wanted this flight to end.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	7. Chapter 7

Annie was having the dream again. It was the same one she'd had on and off ever since she was 15 and had first seen "High School Musical." She wandered the halls of Riverside High, singing "When There Was Me and You" until the song finished and the dream shifted to her old room in her mom's house. She saw her old bed with the worn whitewashed frame, covered in stuffed animals – this time it was made up with the rainbow sheets and the comforter with the prancing unicorn. Glow-in-the-dark stars speckled the ceiling, casting their greenish glow, even though the room was fully lit from an unseen light source. The dollhouse she'd had when she was nine, her first makeup kit she'd gotten when she was eleven, and the outfit from her eighth grade dance recital mixed together with items that were supposed to be there, like her back brace and the Nick Carter poster on the door. As she looked around the room, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something she was supposed to do.

Of course. The balcony. She climbed out the window onto the balcony she'd never had. This was Gabriella's balcony. She went to the railing and searched the grounds below. She never saw him climbing, though, somehow he always just appeared.

"Turn around." She turned, and there he was.

Annie clapped her hands together under her chin. "Zac!"

He smiled, and started singing "Start of Something New." Her heart swelled with each line, almost to the point of bursting, until the song ended and he stood there holding up the sheet music – just like he had in the movie. "It's a pairs audition."

She walked over to take the music from him, but as she reached out for it, the paper disappeared. She paused and looked at him questioningly.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you, Annie," Zac's voice was little more than a whisper.

Annie wrinkled her brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I was just scared."

"But, you've never hurt me…"

"I've always been scared."

"Zac… What are you saying?"

His face smiled at her and his eyes engaged hers, but he spoke as if he couldn't hear her. "I'm still scared."

"Scared of what?"

"I never wanted to hurt you."

"I don't understand." She stepped forward and reached out for him, but just as her fingertips came into contact with where he should have been, his body blurred and then dissipated into a fine mist.

She was alone on the balcony now, but the voice continued on. "You deserve so much more than I could ever give you."

She searched in vain for the source of the voice. The balcony faded, then disappeared entirely and she found herself back in the halls of Riverside High.

"But I'm sorry that I never tried."

Annie sprinted down hallway after hallway in the direction of the voice, but it never got any closer.

"Just know that it was never your fault."

She was getting frantic. The hallways went on seemingly forever, and she _had_ to find the voice. It meant something… maybe everything.

"If you'll let me, I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you."

Annie looked around desperately, and spotted something out of the corner of her eye. A door. She ran towards it as fast as she could.

"Because…"

She reached out for the handle.

"I love you."

The door shattered, taking the hallway with it. She floated in darkness for what seemed like an eternity until she realized that she actually just had her eyes closed. She opened them slowly and found herself in her bed, surrounded by stuffed animals with the greenish stars looking down at her. The voice was gone, and she somehow knew it wouldn't come back. She closed her eyes again and returned to the void.

Soon she felt a light shake on her arm, and her eyes fluttered open. Jeff was kneeling next to her bed, looking at her with a warm expression. He smiled, and the corners of his eyes crinkled ever so slightly. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty," he said gently, "it's time to go home."

Annie's eyes drifted open, and at first she couldn't remember where she was. It was mostly dark, but faint light filtered in from behind a curtain, and she could hear a steady droning noise. The dream. What had she been dreaming about? She closed her eyes again and tried desperately to remember, but the memory slipped through her fingers every time she got close. She'd been in her room, and had been talking to Zac… She tried to reconstruct the pieces of the dream, but it was like trying to hold a sand castle together with your hands after the tide had started washing it away. Jeff had been there…

Jeff. Annie tensed and suddenly felt as though ice water filled her veins from head to toe, and all thoughts about her dream flew out of her head.

_Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God._

She was still lying on Jeff! They'd been watching the movie, and she must have fallen asleep, and now they were… sleeping together! Well, not _sleeping_ together, but sleeping together! His arm was still wrapped around her, and Annie became acutely aware of his hand resting at her waist. Suddenly the cabin felt uncomfortably warm.

_Oh God._

_Of course_ this would happen. Of course she'd go on a trip with Jeff and end up sleeping on top of him less than eight hours into it.

Time. That's what she'd wanted. Time to figure out what she was feeling. Time to figure out what was going on with Jeff. Time to figure out what she wanted. Time to figure out what he wanted. Time to figure out the Annie of it all. Time the universe was apparently unwilling to give her. Britta had given her a brief respite in Shirley's kitchen, but then Abed had thrown her right back into the fire the next day. It was hard to believe that only a week had passed since she and Jeff had spent the better part of an afternoon with their tongues in each other's mouths.

After the movie shoot, she'd been unable to banish Jeff from her head. Desperate for a distraction, she had ended up cleaning her entire apartment – except for Abed's room; she hadn't wanted to deal with another nervous breakdown. First she vacuumed, then she dusted, then she cleaned the refrigerator, then she'd mopped the bathroom and scrubbed the sink and tub… After each task she'd taken a moment to relax, but when she'd closed her eyes, she saw Jeff leaning in to kiss her again – and then it was back to cleaning. When she finished changing the sheets on her bed, unnecessary really, since she had changed them two days earlier, she resigned herself to the fact that there was nothing left to clean.

She'd flopped down in Troy's old recliner, and taken her phone out to ask Abed when he'd be home. But instead of texting Abed, she'd ended up in her message window with Jeff. She had typed out and erased more than thirty different messages, ranging from casual to more direct, but had been unable to hit send on any of them. Finally she'd tossed her phone aside and turned on the TV. She had only been paying half-attention, but when the special bulletin had started up, she somehow knew it was important. When the full implication of what she was seeing had hit her, she grabbed her phone and called Jeff without thinking.

Why had she called Jeff? She should have called Abed. He was Troy's best friend, after all. But in her moment of shocked panic, when she'd needed someone to reach out to, Jeff was the one she'd reached for.

Troy's situation had dominated her thoughts and all communications amongst their group for the next couple days, and it was like someone had hit 'pause' on all the things going on between her and Jeff. On Monday, Jeff had dropped the bombshell that Troy had asked him to serve as his lawyer. She'd been trying to help Jeff figure out how to make that happen when the offer from Gilbert had arrived and everything changed. Annie hadn't really thought much about it. When an opportunity like this came along, you didn't think about it, you just did it. Her friend was in trouble, and she had the chance to go support him in his time of need. So she went. Mrs. Anders had given her clearance to take a leave of absence, but she'd been prepared to go regardless. Some things were more important than work.

Naturally, there were also some obvious benefits to a free first class trip to Sydney, but everything had happened so quickly that it never really dawned on her just what exactly she was doing. You know, flying half-way around the world. Alone. With Jeff.

Now that she was lying on top of him in his bed on the plane, the full force of realization hit her. She thought back on everything that had happened that day – meeting up and heading to the airport with Abed, helping him survive the first flight, him lifting her up to see over the glass… Had she really ridden around on his shoulders?! Then the lounge, and meeting Julian… _He was jealous!_ Dinner, the movie, and now this… It was as if whoever had hit pause on things between them had suddenly un-paused, then hit fast-forward to make up for lost time.

_How could you be so stupid, Annie?_

She should have known better. Every time she was alone with Jeff there was some sort of invisible force pulling them together. Except that this force didn't just pull them together, it also seemed to erase the parts of their brains that made them act sensibly.

She needed to go. Yes. That was the smart thing to do. Get up and go back to her own bed. Get some distance and start figuring things out. Or at least focus on Troy. Yep. That's definitely what she needed to do.

Jeff stirred in his sleep. He took a deep breath and his head turned towards her, with his cheek ending up pressed against her forehead. Annie's eyes widened and she tried to ignore the little thrill that ran down her spine.

Well. There was no way for her to get up without waking him. He had let her sleep, she ought to do the same for him. It was just common courtesy. Waking him up would be… well it would just be rude, that's what it would be.

Tomorrow. Starting tomorrow, she was going to be more careful. Annie pursed her lips and nodded slightly in determination, then squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as she could and tried to will herself back to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Their flight landed in Sydney just before 5 a.m. Monday morning, local time. There had been some slight awkwardness after they had woken up, not to mention some stiff muscles from having packed themselves into an area that was only meant to accommodate one person. They'd had over five hours of flight time left to kill, and Jeff had secluded himself in his pod to do as much reading as he could on Australian law. Annie spent most of the time on her laptop, using the in-flight wi-fi to research blogs and news articles about the incident.

Upon landing, they had collected their luggage and made their way through customs. After their passports had been stamped, they met with the driver Gilbert had set up for them and rode to the hotel where they would be staying.

As they pulled up to the hotel, the eastern sky was tinged with the first brightness of the coming dawn. The hotel was a modern looking building that was right on the water in Sydney Harbor. Only four stories in height and sprawling along the coast like it did, the structure felt more like a villa than a hotel. The doorman arrived to take their luggage while Jeff tipped the driver and Annie ran inside to escape the cold early morning air.

Jeff entered through the double doors and found Annie examining the lobby. "Wow, this place is _really_ nice," she breathed.

Jeff nodded slowly as he glanced around, taking in the entirety of the lobby and the restaurant located farther back. Panoramic windows faced the harbor, displaying what would be an impressive view come morning. "You go ahead and look around. I'll get us checked in."

Annie wandered over towards the windows while Jeff headed to the front desk where he was greeted by an overly perky receptionist.

"Hi, checking in, please. Last name is Winger, although the reservation was made by Gilbert Lawson, so I'm not sure which name it's under."

The receptionist tapped away at the keyboard for a few moments. "Yes, Mr. Winger, I have your reservation right here. You'll be staying in the Sydney suite. Mr. Lawson didn't indicate how many there would be in your party. Will anyone else be joining you, or is it just you and your wife?"

The question caught Jeff off guard, and he stuttered incoherently for a moment before recovering. He was briefly tempted to go along with the mistake, but memories of a certain ski trip gone awry stopped him. Somehow he knew that even if their positions were reversed, he'd still be the one ending up with a drink thrown in his face if things went wrong. _No no no no no. Not falling into that trap again._

"Oh, uh, no, just us. But she's not my wife, we're just here to help out a friend."

The receptionist glanced back and forth between Jeff and where he presumed Annie was, then shrugged and continued tapping on her keyboard. She coded two electronic key cards for them and handed them over, then gave him a rundown of all the information related to their stay, including the numbers for services and their own private 24/7 concierge.

Jeff thanked the receptionist and went over to collect Annie, wondering just what the two of them could possibly need a private concierge for. They took the elevator up to the fourth floor and followed the hallway down to their suite.

Jeff opened the door, and as they stepped inside he immediately understood why the receptionist had been confused about why two friends would be staying alone in a place like this. The suite stretched on and on; it had to be at least four times bigger than his condo back in Greendale… There was a living room, dining area, a full kitchen, two full sized bedrooms, and a huge outside terrace, and that was just what he could see from the entry. Gilbert must have booked the suite before he knew that only two of them would be going. Either that or it was the only thing available, because this _had_ to be the most expensive thing at the hotel…

Annie dropped her carry-on bag at the door and began darting in and out of various rooms. Jeff made his way towards the kitchen and stopped at the minibar. He cracked it open and inspected the contents, making a quick mental accounting of the brands and ages of single grain, blended malt, and blended scotch present.

"Jeff!" Annie's voice called out from one of the doorways, "There's a sofa in the bathroom!"

Jeff chuckled to himself as he walked over to the living room and took in the marble table surrounded by two full length couches, a love seat and two recliners. The wall was basically one giant window that provided a breathtaking view of Sydney Harbor and downtown Sydney. And directly across the harbor sat Sydney's iconic opera house.

Jeff was about to head out on the terrace when Annie came bounding back into the room. "Jeff, Jeff, the rooms are huge there's a king sized bed in each and massive closets and our own bathrobes and a giant TV in every room and did you see the view and there's a huge work desk for you and the sheets are super soft and the wall is like one giant window and you can raise or lower the blinds all the way like it's a movie screen or something and the bathroom even has a TV and a marble tub with…!"

Annie came to an abrupt halt and let out a tiny gasp as Jeff reached out and placed his index finger lightly over her lips.

"Annie. Breathe."

She flushed slightly, and he lowered his hand.

"Now," he continued, "before your attempt to drown me in your stream of consciousness, I was going to head out on the terrace." He jerked his head in the direction of the door, "What do you say?"

"Ok but I have to finish telling you about the bathroom, there's a big walk-in shower and…"

Jeff held up a hand to stop her, and fixed her with a patient, but admonishing look. "Annie, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I am planning to use the bathroom at some point while we're here."

Annie gave an embarrassed nod. Jeff turned and held the door open for her, but Annie just stood there eyeing him with a strange expression, her head tilted slightly to the side. Jeff raised his eyebrows questioningly, but she didn't budge.

"Are you–"

"Therearefourdifferenttypesofshowerheadsandthetubhasmassagingjetslikeinahottub," Annie blurted and then scurried past him out onto the terrace.

Jeff took a moment to recover from Annie's verbal drive-by then rolled his eyes and followed her outside. Even the annoying version of Annie was just so damn cute.

He settled in next to her, leaning his arms on the railing and looking out over the harbor. There wasn't much to see of the water yet. In the early dawn it just looked like a dark, shifting surface, but Jeff could hear the water lapping against the shore.

Annie was staring longingly at the opera house, which was still lit up with spotlights. "I hope we get a chance to go in there," she said in a soft voice.

Jeff gave her a sidelong glance. "Opera's not really my thing, Annie. And we're here for Troy, remember?"

"Yeah, I know…" she said wistfully, "it just seems like a shame to come all this way and not see it…" She shivered from the cold. Jeff was in the midst of imagining all the ways he'd like to help her keep warm when their bags arrived. He left her at the railing and went in to meet the concierge. He introduced himself and instructed Jeff to call him at any time with any request regardless of how small, then handed over a telegram. When Jeff indicated that they didn't need anything else, he excused himself and departed. Jeff tore open the envelope to find a note from Gilbert.

_Mr. Winger,_

_I trust that you will find the accommodations satisfactory. The suite is at your disposal for as long as you require it. You have an open-ended ticket and need only contact the airline when you are ready to return. Please charge any expenses to the room, and my accounts will settle it._

_Best of luck,_

_Gilbert Lawson_

Satisfactory. Yeah, that'd be one word for it. Jeff grabbed Annie's jacket before returning to the terrace. He came up behind her and draped it over her shoulders, then reassumed his position against the railing.

Annie pulled her jacket tight around herself. "Thanks," she said softly. Jeff looked out at where the light continued to grow in the Eastern sky.

"They dropped off our bags," Jeff started slowly, "I didn't know which room you wanted though."

"You should have the master bedroom, you'll need the workspace." Annie sounded as if she was in a trance.

Jeff's desire to be chivalrous was at war with the part of him that recognized that she had made a valid point. Eventually he gave up and nodded reluctantly.

"Uh, I should go take a shower and get changed. The courthouse opens at 8:30 and I need to go see Troy." He placed his hands on the railing to push himself back, but as he did so, Annie reached out and placed her hand lightly over his.

Jeff stopped and looked down at where her small hand covered his own, then up at Annie. She never took her gaze off of the horizon. Jeff hesitated, then settled back against the railing. They stood together in silence as the sky slowly caught fire. Bright red crept up from just beyond the opera house, and gradually spread outward, engulfing the occasional cloud. Deep orange followed soon after, then faded to a bright golden yellow. Jeff had to avert his eyes when the sun finally made its appearance, and spent the next few minutes examining the tranquil harbor waters.

Next to him, Annie let out a deep sigh and removed her hand from his. He turned towards her to find her looking at him with a shy smile on her face and suddenly it was all too much to take. He could feel the words building inside him, collecting together and threatening to break through the dam of denial, silence and avoidance he'd spent five years erecting. Everything he'd wanted to tell her, everything he should have told her, everything he'd been unable to tell her save for a whisper while she'd slept…

Annie moved towards him, went on her tip-toes, and pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek. Then in a flash, she was gone – back inside the suite.

Jeff stood poleaxed for a few moments before eventually heading inside. Annie and her suitcase had disappeared into the second bedroom. His gaze lingered on the closed door before he finally broke away and dragged his bags into the master bedroom. He picked out a suit to wear and laid it on the bed, then changed into the bathrobe and headed for the shower. Annie was right (when wasn't she?), the bathroom was impressive. _And_ the size of his living room. He turned the cold water on full and stepped in.

As the water ran over him, he couldn't prevent himself from thinking that Annie was mere feet away, on the other side of the wall. He could still feel her lips against his cheek. He wanted to storm out of the bathroom, to throw open her door, to confess everything, to kiss her like he should have been kissing her for years – she wouldn't say no, would she? – and then take her on the bed and…

Jeff hung his head and watched the water running down the drain.

_You're an idiot._

It was not the first time he had felt that way in regards to Annie Edison. It would not be the last.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Troy Barnes," Jeff grinned, "you sonofabitch!"

Jeff and Troy embraced in a tight hug, ending with the traditional pats on the back. The circumstances were less than ideal, but it was a happy reunion nonetheless. They were in a small, unadorned holding room with no windows and the only furnishings were a small table and a couple nondescript chairs.

"So," Jeff said with exaggerated nonchalance as he sat down in one of the chairs, "nice place. What brings you here?"

Troy halted in the act of sitting and stared at Jeff. "Uh, the police." He sat down the rest of the way and laid his arms on the table. "I thought you'd be a better lawyer than this, you're not making me feel real confident."

Jeff pressed his lips into a flat smile and gave a quick shake of his head. "I missed you, Troy."

Troy's face immediately lit up. "Aww, thanks man. I missed you too."

Jeff rubbed at his eyes and took a slow breath. "Annnyway. Tell me about what happened. How'd you even end up in Australia?"

Troy described the journey that had led him to Australia: driving to the Platte River, launching the _Childish Tycoon_, taking the Platte to the Mississippi, and down to the Gulf of Mexico. They'd kept to the coast until they were all the way around Florida, then set out across the Atlantic. They stopped in Bermuda for supplies, then made the long trek across the Ocean. After they'd passed through the Straits of Gibraltar, they made their way through the Mediterranean.

"We stopped in Greece for a while. Athens. I wanted to see the Trojan Horse, but we couldn't find it." Troy frowned in disappointment. "And by the way, LeVar isn't as smart as I thought he was. He kept telling me it was in Turkey. I mean, that thing was huge. No way a turkey could eat all of it."

Jeff tried to stifle a laugh but didn't quite succeed. "Pretty sure he meant the country."

"There's a country named Turkey?" Troy looked pensive, "Why would someone name a country after lunch meat? I'd just be hungry all the time…"

"Well," Jeff said gravely, "it's a poor country Troy… and I think it's because they don't have any there."

Troy's eyes went wide, "So it's like a symbol of hope for the future…"

Jeff nodded solemnly, "Yeah."

"Whoa, that just wrinkled my brain." A look of melancholy settled over Troy. "That's sad though. Even when Abed, Annie and me were out of money, we always knew we could get turkey in the cafeteria. But now I'm kinda glad we didn't go there."

"Yeah, that was a close one."

"Anyway," Troy perked up, "after we left, we took that canal through Egypt. And hey, remember when we did that model UN thing with Annie?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"We went by that country Pierce was. Somalia. We met some really cool people there."

Jeff raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You met some cool people in Somalia?"

"Well, we didn't actually stop there. They came out to say hello."

Jeff furrowed his brow, "They what?"

"Yeah, we were just sailing along, and they came out to say hi. I was a little scared at first because I thought we did something wrong. They were yelling at me, and some of them had guns. I guess they were like the coast guard or something. They pulled up next to us and came on board without even asking."

"Troy," Jeff said with a seriousness that, this time, was anything but sarcastic, "those were pirates."

Troy snorted with laughter. "Uh, I know what a pirate looks like Jeff." Troy began counting out points on his fingers as he continued, "None of them were wearing fluffy shirts. Not one oversized hat. Their boat didn't have any cannons, or a pirate flag. And most importantly, not one person had a sword or a peg leg. Pfffft. They'd be like, the worst pirates ever."

Jeff stared at Troy in disbelief, almost too stunned for words. If Troy really didn't understand the danger he had been in, then maybe that was for the best. There was no point in scaring him after the fact. "Oh, uh… I guess you're right then."

Troy gave Jeff his best 'Duh' face and went on with his story. "So like I said, I thought we were in trouble or something. They were yelling and kinda pushy. But it turns out they were just really big Star Trek fans and wanted to meet LeVar. I guess I can't blame them. Sometimes I forget my manners when I get really excited."

Jeff's mouth hung open for a moment as he tried to process what he was hearing. "St… Star Trek? They were Star Trek fans?"

"Yeah," Troy nodded enthusiastically, "as soon as they saw LeVar they started going crazy. One guy spoke pretty good English and he asked just to make sure it was really him. After that they were really nice, they all wanted pictures with him, and he signed some autographs and stuff." Troy laughed like it was a fond memory. "He was doing lines from the show, and man, those guys just went nuts."

Jeff wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or scream. _My friend would probably be dead right now if not for some Somali pirates leading a double life as science fiction nerds. What. The. Hell._

Troy was still busy recounting his blissfully ignorant tale. "They stayed with us for a while. Until we got past the end of the coast. I guess there are some dangerous people out there sometimes, and they wanted to make sure we were ok. So yeah, I'm pretty sure they were coast guard."

"Well, I'm glad they were there to… protect you…" Jeff said slowly, his eyes still wide.

Troy nodded solemnly. "Yeah, me too. LeVar was a wreck for a while after that. I guess their story about the bad people scared him." Troy shrugged, "After that we went across to India. We were going to keep heading east, but there was a tie-foon, which I guess is some kind of storm. So we headed down here. We were gonna go around the north side, but uh, I made a wrong turn," Troy finished sheepishly.

"Ok," Jeff nodded, "so now what about that mess in the harbor?"

A nervous look came over Troy, and he looked around like he thought someone might be eavesdropping. He dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, and Jeff had to lean in to hear him. "Well we uh, we spilled some gas."

Jeff waited for Troy to elaborate, but he didn't. "And?"

"It caught fire."

"I'm aware of that." Jeff deadpanned.

"Oh, good." Troy looked relieved.

"Troy," Jeff said as patiently as he could, "I need details."

"About what?"

Jeff clenched his jaw and had to restrain himself from slamming his fist on the table. "Troy," Jeff was no longer able to keep the frustration out of his voice, "little, lawyer 101. I need to know everything. Every detail. Even if you don't think it's important. I'll decide what's important. Because the worst thing, what we cannot have, is for something to come out in court that I'm not prepared for. So you have to tell. Me. Everything."

Troy's eyes had gone wide as saucers by the end of Jeff's diatribe. He sat quiet for a moment, and then the dam broke. "I use the express lane even when I have too many items, I used to use your ChapStick, I don't always leave a one urinal buffer, I don't wait for people to get off the elevator before I get on, I'm scared of clowns, rats, and people named Johnny, I only pretend to care about global warming so I can get with girls, one time I forgot to lift the toilet seat and when Annie got mad at me for it I told her it was Abed." Troy's voice had been growing more and more strained, and soon the sobbing had begun. "Sometimes when I was tired… I faked orgasms with Britta… I just… I just wanted to go to sleep!" Troy broke down completely and began blubbering incoherently.

By the time Troy had finished, Jeff's face was buried in his hands. Defending drunken professors and tax-dodging strippers had never been this difficult. He did, however, file away the tidbit about Troy and Britta. You never knew when something like that might come in handy.

Eventually Jeff was able to get the details about the harbor incident out of Troy. Although they primarily used the sails for travel, he and LeVar had used the engine when there was no wind. And on their first ocean crossing, they almost run out of fuel. So for crossing the Pacific, Troy had had the brilliant idea of bringing along extra. The problem being that the cabin was short on storage space, so they had put the fuel drums at the back of the deck. Naturally, they'd tipped over and spilled, leaving a long trail behind them in the water. In the dark of early morning, Troy had used his lighter to try to see what the sound and smell was. When Jeff asked what had possessed him to use a lighter around fuel drums, Troy had insisted that they were labeled "Inflammable." Luckily for Troy, they had been headed into the wind at the time, so most of the fumes had been blown behind the boat, but a sizeable fireball had still resulted. A surprised Troy had dropped the lighter into the slick below, and the rest was history. The boat had caught fire too, but they'd been able put it out before too much damage was done.

"Alright," Jeff said wearily while checking his watch, "that should do it for now. If you think of anything else, let me know. I've got to go see this guy Malcolm Bryce, and then go meet with the prosecutor."

"Ok." Troy nodded, but was clearly disheartened. Jeff was likely the first friendly face he'd seen in over a week.

Jeff paused, then leaned over and placed a hand on Troy's shoulder. "Hey. Don't worry about this. We're gonna get you out of here, ok?"

Troy smiled nervously, "Thanks Jeff."

"Oh, I almost forgot. Annie's here too. She's back at the hotel, but I'll see if we can arrange for her to visit you."

"Annie's here?!" Troy looked positively giddy. "That's so cool! I didn't think anyone else was coming."

"Crazy story actually, Gilbert paid for our flight and hotel. He's got us set up in a freaking palace."

"Pierce's brother Gilbert?"

"Yeah, he felt somewhat responsible since it was Pierce's will that got you here."

Troy frowned suspiciously. "So he bought tickets for you and Annie? Does… that mean you two are finally…?" Troy raised his hands and meshed his fingers together.

Jeff paled and his mouth dropped open before he stammered, "I, I… I don't know what you mean."

"You should see your face right now," Troy snickered. "Come on, man, what are you waiting for? Annie's awesome. And hot."

Jeff glowered at him. "Thanks for the tip. Now do you have any more relationship advice for me, or should I go see about getting you out of jail?"

Troy stared at his lap. "Jail…" he mumbled.

Jeff nodded curtly and moved towards the door.

"Hey Jeff? Don't tell Annie about the toilet seat thing, ok?"

"Attorney-client privilege, Troy." Jeff winked at him, and exited the room.

Jeff went to meet with Malcolm Bryce, the public defender that had initially been assigned as Troy's lawyer. They discussed the legal proceedings that had occurred prior to Jeff's arrival, including the hearing where the judge had denied Troy bail due to the prosecutor's belief that he was a flight risk.

"I'll be honest with you," he was saying, "this is one of the most interesting cases I've ever seen, so I was disappointed to be taken off it. But even with that, I'm glad I don't have to deal with this prosecutor anymore. This guy is such a ratbag mongrel."

"That doesn't sound good."

Bryce shook his head. "He's a young punk. Overzealous, charges defendants with anything and everything he can. A real FIGJAM, too. I don't think you're going to get any deals out of him."

Jeff gave Bryce a confused look. "What's a FIGJAM?"

"Oh sorry. Aussie term. Means 'Fuck I'm good, just ask me.'"

_Great, just what I need._ Jeff had taken down more than his share of hotshot prosecutors though. This guy wouldn't be any different. "Alright, well I appreciate the info, and thanks for the warning."

"No worries, mate. Best of luck."

The two shook hands and parted ways. Jeff headed upstairs to where he was to meet with the prosecutor. He checked in with a receptionist and was led to an empty conference room. Since he was early, he spent the time reviewing his notes while he waited.

A faint whirring noise caught his attention, and Jeff was in the midst of trying to determine where it was coming from when the door opened.

"Well, look who it is." Jeff turned towards the door and froze in shock. "I saw the name on the case file, but I had to see it to believe it."

_"You."_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	8. Chapter 8

Annie woke from her nap in the afternoon and stretched languidly. She was definitely feeling jetlagged, but had forced herself to stay up as long as she could. She'd ordered room service for breakfast and lunch and eaten by herself. For breakfast, she'd huddled in the living room and flipped through TV channels, but for lunch it had warmed up enough to eat outside on the terrace. She'd spent most of her time in between meals using her laptop to try to find everything she could about Troy's situation and Australian environmental laws, but she wasn't finding much beyond what she'd already read. She had treated herself to a bubble bath with the massaging water jets, but Jeff had been gone since the early morning and it was becoming clear that there just wasn't a whole lot for her to _do_.

She briefly toyed with the idea of calling Julian just to see the reaction it would get out of Jeff, but decided against it. It had been fun to flirt with him a little on the plane, but with her in town for such a short time there could really only be one thing he was after. And Annie Edison was not that kind of girl. Besides, she didn't _actually_ need to call him in order to see what Jeff's reaction might be.

Annie leaned over and grabbed the remote control for the blinds and raised them all the way, then propped herself up on a pillow and watched lazily as boats passed back and forth through the harbor. The bed was one that could be adjusted to different firmness levels with the touch of a button, and Annie currently had it set somewhere between "baby's bottom" and "kitten's underbelly." It was the sort of softness that, when combined with the luxurious silk sheets, fluffy pillows and oversized down comforter, sapped your energy and demanded that you fall asleep.

Just when the weight of her eyelids was becoming too much to bear, she thought she heard the front door to the suite open. She sat up and listened closely, but didn't hear anything else. Just when she was about to write it off as a trick of her imagination, there was a knock and she could hear Jeff's muffled voice through the door.

"Annie? You in there?"

"Yes, I'll be right out!" she called back, then quickly jumped out of bed and changed from her pajamas into a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. She walked out into the main area of the suite to find Jeff pacing back and forth in the kitchen, a glass of scotch in his hand. He seemed agitated, which put her on guard. "Hey, how'd it go?" she asked warily as she walked up.

Jeff spun and stalked towards her. As he passed the kitchen island, he dropped his glass heavily on the counter with enough force that some of the scotch sloshed over the side. His long legs covered the distance between them quickly and he took her by the shoulders. "Annie," he said intently, with a wild look in his eyes, "you're not going to believe this. It's _him_."

Annie's eyes widened and she recoiled slightly at Jeff's intensity. "Him? Him who?"

"_Simmons!_" Jeff's eyes flashed like wildfire. "Troy's prosecutor! It's _Simmons!_"

Annie stared at Jeff blankly for a moment, then gasped. "_Jeremy_ Simmons? From the City College debate team?"

Jeff was already nodding furiously. He let go of her shoulders, reclaimed his scotch glass and resumed pacing.

Annie stood thunderstruck. Jeremy Simmons. That insufferably smug prick. Hers and Jeff's freshman year nemesis. "How… How is that even possible?"

"_I don't know!_" Jeff threw up his hands in exasperation, hurling the remaining contents of his glass across the kitchen, where it splattered across the floor and cabinets. Jeff gave a bewildered look at his glass, then groaned.

Annie grabbed some towels and helped Jeff wipe up the mess. After the cleanup was done, Jeff set about refilling his glass.

"Hey. Pour one for me too, wouldja?"

Jeff paused and arched an eyebrow at her. "You serious?"

"I think the circumstances call for it."

Jeff studied her for a moment, then shrugged and grabbed another glass. "Now," Jeff's voice took on a lecturing tone as he began pouring Annie's drink, "with a scotch like this, you don't want to use ice. It ruins it. The most you want is-"

"Two drops of spring water to activate the flavor?" Annie finished for him. Jeff lurched in the act of pouring and gave Annie an astonished look. Annie trotted over to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of spring water. "I had room service bring it up." She said with a smile as she handed it over.

Jeff took the bottle and shook his head slowly. "Who _are_ you?"

Annie's smile turned coy, and she lowered her chin towards her shoulder. "Caroline Decker, from Corpus Christi." She drawled in her faux Texas accent as Jeff surgically added two drops to each of the glasses. "But my friends call me Capricious Caroline."

"Careful now, Miss Decker," Jeff said as he handed over the drink, their fingers gently grazing as the glass changed hands, "a pretty lady like you shouldn't advertise a reputation like that." Jeff leaned towards her and gave her a roguish grin. "You're bound to give a fella ideas."

Annie could feel a heat starting to creep up her neck, but she couldn't back down now. She set her jaw and stared back at him defiantly. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talkin' 'bout. I'm just here visitin' my friend Annie." She took a sip of the scotch and had to steel herself to keep from coughing. Her mouth felt like it had gone numb, and a penetrating warmth spread down her throat into her stomach.

Jeff watched as she drank, his eyes dark and intent. "You're a friend of Annie's, huh?" He took a slow drink of his scotch and set his glass down on the counter with a clink. "So am I. She's a good kid. Now, I'd never do _anything_ to take advantage of Annie." Jeff moved closer, towering over her. "But you? I might not give you the same considerations I give her."

The scotch was strong stuff. It was already making her feel lightheaded. Yeah, it was definitely the scotch. Still, she met his gaze with determination. "Well, I… I think you've mistaken me for somethin' I'm not. And I'm just goin' to have to have a little talk with Annie. I can't believe she'd be friends with a, a… a _scallywag_ like you!"

The corners of Jeff's mouth twitched upwards, but he continued gazing at her with an intensity that was difficult to weather. Annie took a hurried drink, but did so too quickly, and before she knew it she was in a full on fit of coughing.

"Ha ha! Yesss! I win! In your face!" Jeff leaned back against the counter, picked up his glass and took a celebratory drink.

Annie recovered from her coughing and crossed her arms tightly across her chest. "I almost had you," she pouted. "You only won because I almost choked to death."

"Pick your poison more carefully next time." Jeff shrugged.

Annie took another small sip of scotch, but continued sulking.

"Ugh," Jeff sighed, "you know, beating you isn't as much fun as beating Britta. She at least has the good graces to get all huffy and indignant. You just look at me with those big sad doe eyes and I just want to apologize and hug you. Takes away all my fun."

Annie allowed herself a small smile at the effect she had on him. Suddenly the exchange felt more like a draw than a loss.

"But seriously," Jeff went on, "where'd you learn about the spring water? I never told you that."

"From Troy." Annie lowered her head and looked at Jeff through her eyelashes. "He looks up to you, you know."

Jeff closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His eyes remained closed for several moments until finally he shook his head and opened them again. "Well," he said softly, "I hope I can repay that faith."

Annie's heart went out to him. She had to remind herself sometimes just how much pressure he must be under. Usually he bore the weight of leadership so effortlessly, it was easy to forget how difficult it could be at times. In moments like this, when he let his guard slip just a little, she could see how much it affected him and just how much he really cared. In moments like this, it was impossible not to love him.

"I know you will." She said, just as softly. Jeff turned his head and looked at her in a way that said 'I'm vulnerable enough to believe you right now.' Annie was on the verge of throwing herself around him in a hug when his visage changed. It was as if she could see his defenses sliding back into place and suddenly a different Jeff was in the room.

"Anyway," he said casually, "in case you were wondering, Simmons is every bit as arrogant and intolerable as ever. In fact, more so."

"I'm sure." Annie nodded in agreement. "He was _horrible_ before, I can't imagine how much worse he'd be as a _lawyer_." Annie's eyes snapped towards Jeff as soon as she realized what she'd said. "Sorry…" she added quickly.

Jeff chuckled and gave a careless shrug. "It's ok, Annie. I know how gross lawyers can be. And he's a _prosecutor_. I never liked them."

Annie huffed out a laugh, but then turned thoughtful. "You know, I had no idea he was even in the law program. I guess you can't major in debate, though."

Jeff cleared his throat, "Yeah, um, funny story there. Apparently it was our little run-in with him that made him decide to go into law."

"Really?" Annie asked in surprise.

"Oh yeah. He made that very clear to me after he'd read the laundry list of things he's charging Troy with." Jeff's knuckles turned white as he gripped his scotch glass tighter. "He said I created him. Losing the debate to us made him want to be a prosecutor so he could 'destroy big shot douchebag defense attorneys' like me. Then he said he was going get Troy locked up for the next twenty years and that I'd get to live with the fact that it was all my fault." Jeff was seething by the time he finished recounting the story.

Annie's mouth was hanging open in offended shock. "Why that… I want to punch him. I actually want to punch a guy in a wheelchair. And I'd never hit anyone!"

Jeff gave her a curious look. "Hey! You hit _me_ once."

Annie flushed in embarrassment and stared at the countertop. "Oh yeah… oops." She squeaked.

Jeff blew out a breath. "Yeah, well," he said reluctantly, "it's not like I didn't deserve it. You just did what everyone else wanted to do."

"I guess so," she said slowly, "it hurt my hand, but it _was_ satisfying." She finished teasingly.

"Wow. Wow." Jeff shook his head then fixed her with a smirk. "You've got a solid right cross, Edison. I'd pay good money to see you use it on Simmons."

It was such a stupid thing, but Annie couldn't keep herself from beaming proudly. "Hey, so how's Troy doing?" She asked earnestly.

Jeff snorted with laughter. "Troy is… Troy. It's nice to know that some things never change. He's nervous, but seems to be in pretty good spirits. Oh, and I set up a visitor window with the registrar for tomorrow. I figured you'd want to see him."

"Yay! Thank you!" Annie bounced up and down and clapped excitedly. "I can't wait to see him! It's been over six months."

"I don't want to spoil the surprise, so I'll let him tell you all about his trip." Jeff gave her a significant look. "It's… interesting, to say the least. But I'd have expected nothing less from Troy. Just don't argue with him over his definition of a pirate."

Annie gave him a confused look, but he didn't elaborate. Jeff stretched and yawned, and Annie glanced quickly at her watch – 4 o'clock. "I took a nap earlier, you must be exhausted." She sympathized.

"Yeah, but I don't want to sleep yet. I think I'll take another shower to wake myself up. Besides, after meeting with Simmons I feel like I need to delouse."

"Are you hungry?"

Jeff paused as if the idea hadn't occurred to him. "Actually yeah. I only had a granola bar for lunch."

"Well," Annie said brightly, "why don't you go shower and I'll make us dinner?"

Jeff gave her a doubtful look. "Why don't we just order room service? It's all paid for."

"Because I want to make dinner."

"Ok…" Jeff said slowly, "it just seems like a lot of unnecessary work, that's all."

"Sometimes hard work is its own reward, Jeff." Annie reproached him. "Besides, I had room service for breakfast and lunch, and basically sat around doing nothing all day. I want to do something productive."

"I do _not_ understand you." Jeff laughed. "That sounds like a pretty good day to me."

Annie stuck her chin in the air, folder her arms and gave Jeff an indignant look. "Well, _some_ people actually enjoy being productive and taking pride in their work. If everyone blew things off like you, we'd all go hungry."

Jeff held his hands up in surrender. "Ok, ok. Geez." Jeff started towards his bedroom, but stopped and turned back, an unsure look on his face. "You, uh, need any help?"

Annie broke down and smiled back at him. "No, Jeff. I'm fine. Go ahead and get deloused." She made a little shooing motion at him.

Jeff stood motionless, still looking uncertain. "You sure?"

Annie sighed and walked over to him, then started pushing him towards his bedroom.

"Ok, I'm going. Hey!" Jeff tried to sound offended, but they were both laughing by the time they reached the entrance to his room. Jeff turned to face her at the doorway.

"It'll take me a while to get everything ready." Annie said up at him. "So don't come back until you're completely clean and awake."

"As milady commands." Jeff flashed a grin at her, then disappeared into his room.

Annie returned to the kitchen and took a quick inventory of the ingredients and spices that the refrigerator and cupboards were stocked with, then called the concierge to order the rest of what she'd need. After her supplies arrived, she set herself to cooking. She started by putting some rice in the steamer, using broth instead of water to make a pilaf. Then she chopped up a few tomatoes and shallots. She sprinkled the diced tomatoes and shallots over the salmon fillets she had ordered, and seasoned them with olive oil, salt, ground black pepper, lemon juice, oregano and thyme. She then wrapped them in tinfoil and placed them in the oven to bake after it had finished heating. While the rice steamed and the salmon baked, she set some asparagus to cook in a buttered frying pan, and mixed together a parmesan sauce. When the rice was finished, she mixed in some chopped onion, red bell pepper and pistachios, and added some fresh peas, bay leaves and seasoning salt. When the asparagus was done cooking, she set it on a serving plate and poured the parmesan sauce over it. When the salmon finished baking, she spread a bed of rice on two plates, then laid the fillets on top.

All told, her efforts had taken just over an hour to complete. She had been so caught up in her work that she hadn't noticed that Jeff had never returned. She was about to go looking for him to let him know things were ready, when she heard the bathroom door open and he came strolling out, wearing a pair of jeans and a tight fitting shirt. His hair was artfully mussed in its usual not-quite-bedhead way.

"Annie," he said in a serious voice as he walked up, "in your extensive review of the suite and the bathroom in particular, how did you fail to mention that there was a built in sauna?"

Annie scrunched her face and gave Jeff a befuddled look. "Hmm? What's so great about a sauna?"

Jeff's eyebrows shot up and he looked at her in amazement. "The question, Annie, is what is _not_ great about a sauna. Haven't you ever used one?"

"Eww, no." Annie frowned in distaste. "I hate sweating. Why would I sit in a hot room and do it intentionally?"

Jeff gaped at her. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that."

Annie rolled her eyes at him. "Well please enlighten me then."

"First off, you sweat out impurities. It lowers your blood pressure and it's good for your heart. And," Jeff gave her a pointed look, "it reduces stress and helps you relax."

Annie let out an offended gasp. "Are you saying I'm not relaxed?"

Jeff gave her a flat stare. "Is that a rhetorical question? Your version of relaxation is organizing your to-do lists."

"That _is_ relaxing!" Annie protested. "Being disorganized and not knowing what I need to get done is very stressful."

"You're not exactly disproving my theory here."

"Fine!" Annie glared at him. "I'll try the stupid sauna. And when I hate it, you can try organizing some to-do lists. Oh wait, you've never made one."

"Ok, you're not allowed to say that like it's an insult, because it's not."

Annnnd, at moments like this, it was impossible not to want to smack him. His tone wasn't malicious, but sometimes he knew just the right buttons to push to get her really aggravated. "Can we just eat please?" Annie said, a little more curtly than she intended. "It's going to get cold."

Jeff stopped and looked at the food she'd prepared. Annie had looked down to start gathering things together, so she missed the flicker of guilt that crossed his face. "Sure, um, this looks great." They moved the food out to the dining area and Annie fetched a bottle of chardonnay the concierge had recommended to go with salmon. Jeff popped the cork and poured them each a glass and they settled in to eat.

They spent most of the meal discussing Troy, but despite Annie's best efforts, Jeff refused to give up any additional information on the Troyage. When the topic inevitably turned back to Simmons, Annie could tell Jeff was starting to get worked up again.

"I think the worst thing is," Jeff was saying, "he's not just some arrogant blowhard. He's actually _good_. He'll hide the arrogance from the court members just like he did with the judges at the debate, and he'll charm them with his charisma. He'll play the whole 'I'm in a wheelchair, but I don't let it hold me back, so you should be impressed with me' card, but I can't point that out, because that makes me a dick."

"You beat him once, you can do it again." Annie tried encouraging him.

"_I_ beat him?" Jeff snorted. "I almost blew it by catching him. _You_ beat him. And I don't think we can win this time just by making out in front of the jury." Jeff shot a mischievous smile at her. "Though I'd be happy to try that, if you want."

Annie blushed and pushed a piece of salmon around her plate with her fork. "Ok, but that was just the end. Simmons threw a Hail Mary, and I reacted to it. We were winning prior to that." She gave him a pointed look. "_Without_ making out."

"Alright," Jeff allowed, "but I think you're forgetting something here, Annie. I was never a real lawyer. I barely know US laws. I hardly know _anything_ about Australian ones. Simmons knows them backwards and forwards. He's got me by the balls, and he _knows_ it. He didn't even offer me a plea deal."

"When's the trial?"

Jeff rubbed his eyes. "Next Monday. Less than a week."

Annie's eyes lit up and a slow smile spread across her face. "Jeff, you can learn anything in a week. After Shirley gave birth in our anthropology class, I taught myself how to deliver a baby and basic postnatal care in three days. Which came in handy that summer when a prostitute went into labor in the alley next to my building."

Jeff did a double take, then shook his head slowly. "Well, maybe _you_ can learn anything in a week. The rest of us mortals aren't so lucky."

"Jeff! Remember the debate? You had that down after less than _one day_" She patted him lightly on the forearm, "You can do this too. And I'm going to help you."

Jeff eyed her cautiously, "Annie… I appreciate that, but… this may seem silly, but I'm actually not allowed to discuss details of the case with you."

"Well then," Annie gave him a cunning smile, "when I see Troy tomorrow, I'll just have to ask how he feels about adding another lawyer to his team."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Pirates." Annie mumbled to herself as the door closed behind her. "Nooo, these guys shouting and pointing guns at me couldn't _possibly_ be pirates because they aren't yelling 'Arrrr matey!' They're just the friendly neighborhood coast guard slash Star Trek fan club!" Annie clenched her fists in frustration. "Oh, and then why don't I go ahead and cause an environmental disaster, because don't worry, I'll just fix it by _lighting it on fire_ and almost blowing myself up in the process!" Anybody watching her would doubtless think she was crazy, the way she was angrily talking to herself in a low whisper, but complete with emphatic gestures and sarcastic facial expressions. Annie didn't care though. She needed to vent, Jeff wasn't around, and yelling at Troy would just make things worse.

It was strange to feel so angry at Troy after having not seen him for half a year. She'd been elated to see him at first, and had listened raptly as he recounted his journey. But things had started to go south when he got to the part about the "coast guard." Annie took a deep breath to calm herself. Troy was so innocent and naïve sometimes. It was part of what she loved about him, but when that innocence and naiveté put his life in danger? That was infuriating.

The good news was, Troy had been more than happy to sign the release form that would allow Jeff to disclose details of the case to Annie. Not that there was much left to disclose after everything Troy had told her. Nevertheless, it would allow her to work directly with Jeff to help him prepare.

Annie walked down the hall to the registrar's desk, signed out, and returned her visitor's badge. She thanked the registrar with a smile and stepped out into the main lobby. As soon as the door closed behind her, she heard someone start singing in a mocking tone.

"Liiiittle Annnnie Aaaadderalllll."

Annie froze, then turned slowly towards the source of the singing.

And there he was. Simmons. Sitting in his wheelchair, with the same soul patch, ponytail and jacket/scarf/fedora combination he'd always favored. The rims of his glasses were thicker now, he'd swapped the necktie for a bowtie, and he'd added an earring.

"Simmons." Annie spat as he rolled towards her. "What do you want?"

"Me?" Simmons feigned innocence as he looked up at her. "Oh nothing. I just wanted to reminisce with an old friend. The registrar is required to inform me of all visitors for the defendants. Or, the damned, as I like to call them. I saw your name on the list, and I just had to stop by and say hello."

"Well now you've said it. So if you don't mind…" Annie gathered herself and turned to leave.

"Tut-tut, Miss Edison, is that any way to treat an old friend?" His tone was dripping with condescension, so much so that it made Annie want to scream.

She huffed and turned back towards him, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. "_What_ do you _want_?"

"To reminisce. As I said. You really ought to pay closer attention." He made a face like he had just realized something embarrassing. "Oh. Oh no. Is that why you got hooked on Adderall? An inability to focus?"

Annie clenched her jaw and tried to keep herself from shaking with fury. He was just like all those bullies in high school. The name calling, the taunting, the pranks, even the threats…

"You know, when I saw Winger's name on the file, I thought this might be the opportunity of a lifetime. When I met with him yesterday and told him what I'm going to do, I didn't think this could get any sweeter. But fate, it seems, had other plans. Because here _you_ are." Simmons fixed her with a smarmy smile. "The other half of the party responsible for my greatest humiliation. Sadly, the lesser half. The one that had to use her base animal sexuality as a weapon because her wits had failed her."

Annie's chest had been tightening steadily as he spoke, and she could feel her eyes trying to tear away from his gaze like horses that had been spooked by the smell of fire. The taunts, the insults, the jeers – she had never been able to stand up to them. She'd always just put her head down and walked away or sat silently and stared at the floor.

"I'm sure Winger told you that I went into law for a chance to annihilate scummy defense attorneys like him, but that's not the whole story. You see, the two of you taught me an important lesson." Simmons leaned forward and his smarmy smile turned downright menacing. "Man _is_ evil. And this place, this position, this pulpit of mine, is where I judge him thusly and punish him accordingly. Your simpleton friend will experience the full fury of my righteous retribution. And you and your _boyfriend_ will get a front row seat." Simmons sat back, a supremely haughty expression settling over him.

Annie's mouth trembled and her eyes were threatening to close as her mind retreated into its inner fortress. One she hadn't used or needed ever since she'd come to Greendale and found her new family. If only Britta were here, she'd have a sharp comeback and biting insult to offer. Or Abed, he wouldn't be phased by the taunts, and he'd find a way to "over-describe" Simmons so that he'd retreat faster than cockroach in a spotlight. Or Shirley, she'd just give him a holier-than-thou look and then unleash that mom-of-three-kids attitude on him. Or Troy, he'd just laugh in his face and say something cocky. Or Pierce, he'd have faked a heart attack and found some way to humiliate Simmons in the process. Or Jeff… he'd use that never-ending well of wit and sarcasm to crush Simmons and make him wish he'd never…

"What are you smiling about?" Simmons asked with derision.

"You." Annie refocused her attention on Simmons. "You're pathetic. You lost a community college debate and you think that set you on some high and mighty path from God to punish the wicked, when all it did was prove how weak and fragile you really are. You're going to try to destroy my friend's life because five years later you're still throwing a tantrum." Annie stepped closer and glared down at him, fire practically erupting from her eyes. "You may be in a wheelchair, but I never considered you a cripple until now. And Jeff Winger? He's ten times the man you'll ever be and that's not just because his legs work. And Monday, I'll have a front row seat all right. To when he breaks you and makes you his bitch."

Annie spun and walked out of the courthouse, feeling stronger than she ever had in her life. And she knew she would never need her mind's inner fortress ever again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	9. Chapter 9

Jeff knelt over the toilet and heaved out the rest of his insides. He thought he had already flushed away his stomach, liver, kidneys and lower intestines, but apparently there were still bits and pieces of his organs floating around his now mostly empty torso.

Annie sat a few feet away on the edge of the tub, her face scrunched in distaste and her hand doing its best to guard her nose from the smell. "Still think that was the best steak you've ever had?"

Jeff coughed and tried to spit out the rest of the vomit that had worked its way into the crevices of his mouth.

"Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness." Annie recited in a lecturing tone.

"Thank you, Ms. Consumer Advisory Board." Jeff said into the toilet.

"I'm just saying, Jeff," Annie's tone reminded Jeff of the scolding his mother had given him once for breaking his arm after riding his bike off a ramp he had built, "there's a reason they have those warnings, and now you see why."

Jeff reached up and flushed the toilet. It felt almost dirty to enjoy it, but the rush of cool air that accompanied the flowing water felt good on his face. He turned his head and regarded Annie through bleary eyes. "Remember when I said you'd make a good nurse?"

"No."

"Exactly. I'm already well aware of the consequences. You don't have to rub it in." Annie's eyes flicked downwards in guilt, but he was pretty sure he heard her mumble something to herself about having warned him. He made an effort to stand, but half way up, another wave of nausea hit him, and he dropped back to the floor. He managed to avoid retching, however.

Annie jumped up and walked out of the bathroom. A few moments later she returned with a glass of water. "Here, you can rinse with this. Don't drink anything more than tiny sips though."

"Thanks." Jeff swished the water around his mouth, then spit it out into the toilet. Though the idea of swallowing anything was too much to handle just yet. "Isn't there some sort of medicine I can take for this?"

"Not for food poisoning. It has to work its way through your system. Some medicines actually make it worse."

"Awesome."

"The most important thing is to avoid dehydration, so you need to try to take little sips of water as often as you feel you're able. No solid foods until the vomiting stops, which should hopefully be in less than twenty four hours."

Jeff kept his face buried in the toilet, afraid to move. "How do you know so much about food poisoning?"

"Have you ever eaten Troy's cooking?"

"Oh."

Annie giggled. "Abed only makes buttered noodles, which is pretty safe. But I learned pretty early on to check the insides of anything Troy cooked. The hard part was finding ways to heat it up more without making him cry." Jeff was still staring into the toilet, but he could practically hear her eyes roll. "Last summer I went to visit my bubbe for a week, and when I got home… I actually thought they were dead. Abed was curled up in the tub and Troy was just lying face down in the doorway to the bathroom. _That_ was a fun few days, let me tell you."

Despite how awful he felt, Jeff couldn't stop himself from laughing at the thought of Troy and Abed clawing their way into the bathroom like a couple elephants dragging themselves towards their instinctive graveyard. Unfortunately for him, it ended in a fit of dry heaving. _I guess I know how they felt… At least I have a nice big marble tub to die in._

Every muscle in his body felt sore and fatigued, but especially his abdominal area, which had been cramping periodically. However, kneeling over the toilet for so long was also taking its toll on his shoulders and lower back. Jeff decided to take a chance and straightened himself to stretch out his back and give his shoulders a brief respite. He made it back down in time to prevent another round of dry heaves.

His back was tightening up again and his shoulders were resuming their protestations when suddenly he felt hands start rubbing at the knots just below his neck. "Oh my Goddd…" Jeff groaned. "I'll give you my car if you just keep doing that."

"Your car is old." Annie didn't stop massaging his shoulders though.

"I'll buy you a new one then."

Her hands started to move slowly down his back, continuously working at his complaining muscles. "Ok, but I get to pick the color."

"Deal."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Annie's hands were starting to cramp as she continued working in small circles around the muscles in Jeff's lower back. She paused briefly to stretch them out and heard a whimper emerge from Jeff. She sighed and resumed her ministrations. "This is what you get for having all these muscles. This is actually a lot of work, you know."

"It's a fair trade." Jeff's voice echoed out of the toilet. "My body is a work of art, Annie. Normally I charge quite a lot to let a woman touch me like this."

Annie gasped and her hands jerked back reflexively. She recovered quickly and silently chided herself for letting him catch her off guard. "That's gross, Jeff." She gave him a light swat on the side and started working her way back up towards his shoulders. It was hard to be mad at him when he was in such a pitiful state. She _had_ warned him though. Several times. And he'd just grinned at her and told her to live a little. Well, if this was what living a little got you, she could do without that, thank you very much. Besides, wasn't flying off to Australia to stay in a palatial hotel living a little? In fact, _his_ living a little was now infringing on her enjoyment of _her_ living a little. There was a reason for rules and guidelines and even though in this case Jeff was definitely paying the price, she was now paying it too, which was really unfair and-

"Ahh! That's a little _too_ hard…"

"Sorry…" Annie mumbled. She refocused her attention on her task, but tried not to concentrate too much on the fact that Jeff was right. His body _was_ a work of art.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A few hours later, the worst of the vomiting had passed and Annie had gotten Jeff moved to his bed, a trash can placed by the side, just in case. He had started running a fever, and so she'd spent a good amount of time running back and forth with cool damp washcloths for his forehead and refilling his water glass on the rare occasions that he managed to empty it. She wished there was more she could do for him, but it was basically a waiting game at this point.

After replacing yet another washcloth with a fresh cool one, Annie pulled the chair out from the work desk and took up a post next to Jeff's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm dying."

"Aww." Annie reached out and took his left hand in hers. "I'm calling dibs on your TV then. Abed is going to love all his new shirts."

Jeff's resulting chuckle morphed into a groan. "Stop making me laugh. It hurts too much."

"Mmm, sorry. See I told you some medicines could make it worse, even the best ones."

Jeff repeated his chuckle-groan. "What did I just tell you?" he whined.

"Sorry, sorry." Annie said contritely as she rubbed his hand gently in apology. They were silent for a few moments, and Annie started reflecting on all the times she'd been sick when she was young. "You know," she started slowly, "I never liked feeling sick."

"The hell you say."

"Uhhhhh! Let me finish." Annie closed her eyes and thought back to those cozy winter days, huddled in her bed with a book. "I never liked feeling sick, but I sorta liked being sick, you know? I always loved going to class, but I never really liked being around the other kids that much. When I was sick, they'd bring me my homework assignments and I could just read and learn everything on my own. No teasing or mocking from my classmates. And my mom…" Annie trailed off, a melancholy feeling settling over her.

She heard a light rustle as Jeff turned his head towards her. "Yeah?" He gave her hand an encouraging squeeze.

Annie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "My mom was just so much different when I was sick. Most of the time she only cared about my grades or how I was doing in extracurricular activities or how every little thing I did needed to somehow help me prepare for college. But when I was sick… it was like she actually cared about _me_." Annie fought against the swell of emotion that was rising within her. The last thing she wanted was to suddenly break down crying in front of Jeff, especially when he was sick. "It was like… all the other stuff didn't matter for a while. I wasn't some trophy that she trotted out to show all her friends, I was just…" a tremor rippled through her voice and she had to pause and swallow, "her daughter…" Annie squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as she could in order to keep the tears from spilling over.

"I, uh…" Annie could hear the uncertainty in Jeff's voice, and she knew she wasn't doing a very good job of keeping her emotions under wraps. "I always kinda liked being sick too." He said tentatively. "I never liked going to class, so I loved any chance to stay home and watch TV instead. But the best part…" Jeff blew out a deep breath, "the best part was when I went back to school. Because everyone, the kids, the teacher, even the bus driver… would ask me how I was doing and if I was feeling better. It was this little reminder that there were people in the world besides my mom that actually cared about me."

Annie listened with her eyes closed, just hearing his voice felt somehow reassuring and made her feel safe. When he stopped, she opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him. He was still propped up part way on the pillow with the washcloth over his forehead and the blankets tucked up to his chest. His face was haggard from his illness, and he was staring out the window with a forlorn look in his eyes. She looked down to where their fingers were intertwined and started making small circles around the side of his hand with her thumb.

"Most of the time when I was sick, it was just my mom who took care of me. My dad couldn't be bothered with stuff like that even when he was around. But there was this one time…" Jeff's voice hitched slightly and he fell silent.

Annie glanced back up at him to find his eyes closed. He looked to be forcing himself to breathe evenly. She returned her gaze to their hands and kept making the tiny circles.

It seemed like ages had passed by the time he spoke again. "One time, my mom and I both got sick. She had it really bad. We both had the flu, but hers turned into Pneumonia. She was in the hospital for several days. And that time my dad did take care of me." Jeff's voice was tired, but monotone, as if he was reciting something that had happened to someone else. "He read me books and brought me food. He even sat with me on my bed and we watched TV together for a while. One night, he actually sang me to sleep." Annie's gaze was now focused intently on his face. If Zac Efron had burst into the room right then and declared his love for her, she wouldn't have even been tempted to take her eyes off of Jeff. "I was stupid enough to think it would last. But after my mom and I got better, it was like I didn't exist anymore. I even pretended to get sick again, just so he'd notice me. I missed a month of school. My mom took me to every doctor she could find just to figure out what was wrong with me. I kept _waiting_ for him. But he never came. I just didn't understand why I wasn't good enough for him."

Annie finally gave up all pretense of not crying. The tears flowed freely and her shoulders shook with the injustice of it all. "How old were you?" she sniffled.

"Six." Jeff's voice cracked as he said it, and she saw a single tear roll down the side of his face.

Annie let out a sob, and then almost without realizing it, she found herself moving towards the bed. She sat next to him and Jeff opened his eyes in surprise as she leaned in close. "You're good enough for me." She whispered into his ear. She heard him gasp softly in response and before she knew it she was trailing small kisses from below his ear to down along his jawline, until finally, her mouth found his. He was stiff at first, as if he didn't quite know what to do, but after a moment his lips softened and they both sunk into the kiss. It was slow and unhurried, more reassuring and nurturing than the unbridled passion of their kisses in Abed's movie. Still, it sparked something deep inside Annie, something that wasn't fire or fervor, something she had always wondered whether or not it would be there. Passion was ephemeral. It ebbed and flowed. But when ardor cooled, would there be anything left? With her lips pressed languidly against his, her hands cupping his face, and his arm wrapped gently around her, she thought she knew the answer.

Annie pulled back slightly and rested her forehead softly against his. The washcloth had fallen off and she could feel the heat from his fever. She opened her eyes slowly, Jeff's face filling her entire field of view. His eyes had closed again, but his face seemed more relaxed than she'd seen in a while. She gave him a quick peck on the nose and sat up. Jeff's eyes drifted open and he gave her a questioning look. A moment later, however, his look quickly changed to one of panic and suddenly he was lunging for the trash can. There wasn't much in him to come out, but he lost most of the water he'd managed to drink.

"I was pretty unpopular in high school, but that's the first time anyone's ever puked as the result of kissing me."

Jeff's eyes grew wide as they darted towards her. "Annie…" he said slowly, his voice pleading.

"I know, I know." She teased. "I have to try to have some fun with this though don't I? I mean, I get to go clean this out now." She took the trash can from him and trotted over to the bathroom where she rinsed it out in the tub. She wetted down a new washcloth and returned with both items to Jeff's room. Jeff was lying flat now, with a pillow draped over his face. Annie placed the trash can by the bed again, lifted up the corner of the pillow and peered at Jeff. "Trying to smother yourself?"

"Yes." He grumbled.

"Why?"

"You kissed me and I threw up." He groaned. "So not only do feel awful, now I'm embarrassed too. If you have any pictures of cute animals covered by oil spills, let me know. I might as well go for the hat trick of misery by adding depression."

Annie hopped up on the bed next to him and crossed her legs, then grabbed the pillow and tossed it aside. "Don't worry about that right now." She placed the washcloth gently on his forehead.

Jeff lifted his head slightly to get a more direct look at her. "But Annie, we just-"

"Shhh. We'll deal with that later." She took his hand back in hers and sat with the three of them in her lap. "I wanted to say thank you."

"Wha- why? For letting you clean up my disgusting mess?"

Annie traced her finger lightly over the lines of his palm. "For telling me about your dad." She said softly.

"Not exactly an uplifting story."

"That's why I wanted to thank you." She could sense him about to question her again, so she added quickly, "Not just for opening up and trusting me with something so personal, but… well… it helps to know that I'm not the only one with parental issues. It makes me feel more normal."

Jeff snorted in amusement. "You kidding? Think about our little group. Abed's mom left and his dad is a psycho. Troy's parents are Jehovah's witnesses and his dad is dating someone younger than he is. Britta's parents were apparently so nice to her that they drove her insane, and Pierce… well you remember Colonel Sanders' evil twin. The only one of us with a good relationship with their parents is Shirley. So I think that means she's the freak, not us."

Annie frowned, "Well it's kinda sad when you put it that way."

"Heh, well," he poked her lightly in the side with his free hand, "you wanted to feel more normal. And what's more normal than having been screwed up by your parents?"

"I guess…" Annie thought for a moment then shook her head. "I just don't like the idea that most people have it that bad…"

"Oh, they don't." Annie could hear a bit of lawyer in his voice. "Don't get me wrong, everyone has parental issues, even Shirley. Some are just worse than others. My dad abandoned me. Your mom was overbearing, _then_ abandoned you. No one's parents are perfect, but when they just stop trying? Pffff. I mean, I've got my share of issues regarding my mom. But at least she was _there_. At least she gave a crap."

Annie nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think… it was definitely her reaction to my pill addiction that hurt most. Even when she was berating me and obsessing over my grades and all, it was at least like she cared what happened to me. But then suddenly it was like she didn't really care anymore just as long as I wasn't an embarrassment to the family."

Jeff gave her hand a light squeeze. "At some point I realized, the thing about parents is that they don't know anything more than you or me. They never did." Annie could see him shake his head slightly out of the corner of her eye. "When we're kids, we have this idea that our parents are some kind of superheroes or gods. They're these giants who can do all sorts of things we can't. I think on some level, we never forgive them for it when we find out it isn't true."

Annie felt an overwhelming urge to ask him something. Something she'd always wondered, but never knew how to ask. It wasn't the sort of question you just dropped on Jeff Winger without sending him running for the hills. This seemed as good a time as any though. He was talking openly about personal stuff in a way she'd never experienced, and with his illness, he couldn't really run away.

"Do you…" Annie marshalled her courage and finally blurted out the question. "Do you want to have kids?"

"I don't think I'm in the condition for that right now."

"Jeff!" She elbowed him hard in the side, then immediately began spewing apologies as he grunted in pain.

They fell silent for a while after Jeff had recovered. Annie was starting to think she'd blown her chance to get an answer out of him, when suddenly he spoke.

"I think so, yeah." Annie's heart skipped a beat. "You know, if you had asked me that question five years ago, I'd have laughed in your face. I'm not entirely sure what happened. Somewhere along the line these annoying people came along and started changing my ideas of what friendship and family meant."

"Awww!" Annie had to fight to keep herself from crying all over again, albeit for a much more pleasant reason this time.

"See? _So_ annoying. Don't think I'm not going to get even with you guys, either."

Annie giggled happily and rubbed his hand between hers. "I want to have three kids. Two girls and a boy. Although two boys and a girl would be ok too."

"What if you have all boys or all girls?"

"Nope. Not going to happen." Annie said with determination.

Jeff's laugh ended in another grunt of discomfort. "Annie Edison vs. Mother Nature? My money's on Annie Edison."

Somehow Jeff always knew what to say to make Annie blush like a schoolgirl. _This. This is why he's dangerous._ "I wasn't fishing for that…"

"Meh, I offered it freely."

Annie lowered her head and sighed. "Doesn't it scare you, though?" She asked quietly.

"What?"

"The thought of having kids…"

"Oh."

"I mean… what if I end up doing the same things to my kids that my mom did to me?"

"Annie, I can pretty much guarantee that isn't something you need to worry about. Look, one of the most important things parents can teach us is what _not_ to do. And your mom's given you quite a head start in that department. Me, well… about the only thing my dad taught me was not to run away. So I guess if I keep showing up I'll at least be doing better than he did. But to answer your question, yes, it terrifies me."

"But you still want to do it?"

"Yeah, well, there's a reason why I said I needed to get even with you guys." Jeff reached up and rubbed her shoulder gently. "You're going to make mistakes, but they'll be your own, not your mom's. And in my completely unqualified opinion, I think you'll be an amazing mom."

Annie turned to look at him, her smile reaching from ear to ear. "Well, I think you'll make a great dad."

"The witness is speculating." Jeff sniffed, "You have no proof."

"Yes I do." Annie whispered.

Jeff's eyebrows raised and he looked at her expectantly. But Annie just patted his hand and stood. "I think it's time for you to get some sleep." She let go of his hand and moved to leave. "Call me if you need anything."

"Annie?" His voice was muffled through the pillow he had already replaced over his face.

She stopped at the door and turned back. "Yes?"

"You'd make a really good nurse."

Annie burst into a wide smile. "Goodnight Jeff." She flicked the light off and closed the door behind her as she left.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The room went mostly dark and the door clicked closed as Annie departed. Jeff lay motionless for several minutes before moving the pillow back underneath his head and staring out at the nighttime Sydney skyline. Scattered lights speckled the buildings across the harbor. His eyes drifted part way closed and his vision lost focus on the buildings. Eventually, strange patterns started to appear like a real life Magic Eye book. Jeff wasn't paying any attention though. There was only one thing rattling around his head. The part of him that was pessimistic and self-loathing dismissed it as a simple human kindness delivered to a pitiful person by someone overly caring and generous. But that part of him had been fading into the recesses more and more. The other part of him, the part that had opened that door in Borchert's lab, dared to hope. One possibility threatened to crush him, the other to make him explode. Both terrified him. When he finally drifted off to sleep, it was still replaying in his head on a seemingly endless loop.

_You're good enough for me._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Annie alternated between staring at the ceiling and the digital clock on the nightstand. All she'd asked the universe for was time to figure things out. But some things apparently weren't meant to be meticulously planned, studied and analyzed. She still wasn't sure what Jeff ultimately wanted. His statements that night notwithstanding, he'd made rapid and reckless shifts before. It could end up devastating her, but there was no denying it – not only hadn't her feelings for him gone away, but they were stronger than ever. Part of her still felt like an abused animal that had been baited with kindness before – but sitting with him that night – talking about their parents and their own hopes of eventually becoming parents themselves… She couldn't help but feel like things were drastically different this time. The possibility both thrilled and frightened her more than she could say. But one thing was clear: whatever it was that was building between them was rapidly coming to a head. And wherever it lead, for good or for ill, there would be no going back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Rise and shine, it's time to study!" Annie said cheerily as she tossed her laptop and several notebooks on Jeff's bed, then climbed up and sat Indian style on the corner opposite Jeff.

Jeff cracked one eye open and groaned. "It's too early."

"It's 10 in the morning. That's not early, especially when you consider it's four in the afternoon back in Greendale."

"But I'm sick." He whined.

Annie rolled her eyes. "That's _why_ I let you sleep this late. I've been doing research since six."

Jeff rolled his head to the side and regarded her with a groggy stare. "Two things. One, you're not human. Two, your body isn't being eaten from the inside out by vicious parasites."

"Two things," Annie countered, "based on your symptoms, it's bacteria causing your food poisoning not parasites, and Troy's trial starts in five days whether you're ready or not."

"It feels like parasites."

"Are you admitting to an intimate knowledge of parasitic infection?"

"You didn't work at my law firm."

Annie huffed out a laugh in spite of herself. "Fair enough. But you're still wrong. Parasitic infections don't show symptoms within hours like yours did."

"Have you _met_ Alan?"

Annie rolled her eyes but couldn't keep herself from smiling. "_This_ is what you want to argue about? You're avoiding the real issue, which is that we need to prepare for the trial."

"Have you met _me_? Avoiding real issues is kinda my thing."

Annie gave him a reproachful look. "And is that what you're going to tell Troy when they announce his twenty year prison sentence?"

"You're not going to leave, are you?"

"Nope." Annie flipped her hair over her shoulder and pried open her laptop. "But I have a peace offering. The concierge is bringing some bananas, crackers, bread and peanut butter. You can try eating some solid food if you think you're up for it."

Jeff let out a long-suffering sigh. "Bananas in exchange for my life." He smirked at her. "I used to think you cared about me, you know. Alright, let's get to work."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next two days consisted of seemingly endless research and study. Annie was quite the indefatigable taskmaster and Jeff wasn't entirely sure if his recurring headaches were due to the food poisoning or stress. He'd been steadily recovering, but the whole ordeal had left him drained and exhausted. And when you added in Annie and the upcoming trial, he wasn't getting the full amount of rest he needed.

On Friday morning, he had gone to visit Troy one last time before the trial.

"Remember, Troy, Simmons is going to try to paint you as a bad guy. He's not going to just say that you did this, he's going to portray it as something intentional."

"But I didn't do it on purpose!" Troy objected.

"I know that Troy," Jeff reassured him, "and LeVar's testimony should help us there. But this is going to be a sales pitch. Most people only know what happened, they don't know how or why. Simmons has this vendetta against me so he's going to try to make you look as bad as possible. If the judge and jury dislike you, they're going to be more likely to give Simmons what he wants. It's my job to make you into a sympathetic character. If they like you, they'll be more likely to give us what we want. Make sense?"

"Yeah." Troy brightened, "Hey, I could dress up like Kickpuncher and do lines from Kickpuncher: Down Under! He has this new kangaroo kickpunch that really, unh!" Troy mimed the maneuver, which looked like a basic uppercut to Jeff, "gives it to the bad guys! I bet they'd love me then."

"Yeeaaah." Jeff gave him a withering look. "Abed said you'd say that. He also said to remind you that Australians are the bad guys in that movie, it's filled with derogatory stereotypes and that it's on the top ten list of most offensive movies in Australia. So why don't we just set that aside for now?"

"Oh." Troy looked chastened. "See Abed is so much better at picking up on the subtle points of those movies."

_Subtle points. Right. Those movies are about as subtle as a kickpunch to the… Oh God, now I'm doing it…_ Jeff gave himself a shake, then went on, "Look, just follow my lead on Monday and it'll be fine."

"Ok." Troy nodded. "Hey Jeff," he said slowly, "I just wanted to say… whatever happens, thanks for coming down here. It means a lot to me."

Jeff broke into a wide smile. "Would it hurt your opinion of me if I told you my motivations were selfish? Life is so much more boring without Troy Barnes in it. I want you back in Greendale, not locked up down here."

"I can live with that." Troy grinned.

The two men stood and embraced before Jeff departed. He signed out with the registrar and exited the building, then caught a cab back to the hotel. He opened the suite door with trepidation, expecting Annie to immediately pounce on him with more things for him to study. He found the main area of the suite empty, however. He went over to the kitchen and made himself a peanut butter sandwich and poured a glass of water. He _wanted_ a scotch, he hadn't had any since Monday, but he wasn't sure his stomach was up for it yet.

He chewed on the sandwich as he made his way to his room where, surprisingly, there was no sign of Annie beyond the notebooks she had left lying around. Jeff scarfed down the rest of his sandwich as he flipped through one of Annie's notebooks. When he'd finished eating, he got up and wandered over to Annie's room. Her door was open, and he peeked inside to find her curled up and asleep on the far side of the bed, one hand still laying on her laptop. _Well, what do you know? She is human after all._

He watched her for a moment, then an idea popped into his head. He went back to his room and quickly changed into his bathrobe, then made his way to the bathroom and fired up the sauna. He tossed the robe aside, stepped in and reclined back on the bench for his first bit of relaxation in days.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Annie awoke with a start and looked dazedly around her room. Her laptop lay next to her where she'd been reading, until her eyelids had become too heavy for her to keep open. She'd been pushing herself and Jeff hard the last few days. Maybe too hard. And poor Jeff had been recovering from food poisoning all the while… Maybe they each deserved a break. She decided she'd let Jeff have some time to himself when he returned from the courthouse. For her part, what she really wanted was another luxurious bubble bath in that fantastic massaging tub.

She hopped out of bed and changed into her bathrobe, then went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. As the tub filled with water, she hummed quietly to herself and watched the bubbles froth and swirl. When the bath was drawn, she slipped out of her robe and stepped into the tub.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jeff snapped awake, dripping with sweat in the heavy humid heat of the sauna. He wasn't sure how long he'd been out, but judging by how thirsty he felt, it must have been a while. Given his recent illness, it probably wasn't good for him to be losing too much water, so he pried himself off the bench and made for the exit.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Annie was about to lower herself into the water when she heard the click of a door latch. But the sound hadn't come from behind her, it had come from in front of her. From the direction of the sauna. That meant… her head snapped up in panic – and there he was. Standing in the doorway, body glistening with sweat and naked as the day he was born was Jeff Winger. His mouth hung open, an astonished look on his face. They stood facing each other for a few stunned moments, as both sets of eyes couldn't help but slide admiringly down the naked form of the other. Finally, it seemed to occur to both of them simultaneously that they were just as naked as the other. Annie's gasp echoed Jeff's, and she dropped herself heavily into the tub, sending a tidal wave of soapy water over each side as Jeff lunged for his discarded bathrobe.

Annie kept herself hidden beneath the layer of bubbles until finally she couldn't hold her breath any longer. She poked her head above the water and gasped for air as she peered through stinging soapy eyes in an effort to locate Jeff. He was nowhere to be found, apparently having used her submersion as a chance to escape. She checked behind her to make sure the door was closed. It was.

Annie turned herself back around and sat in the tub. Her mind felt like an engine revving in the red, but still stuck in neutral. What to do now? Suddenly the prospect of a bath didn't seem so relaxing anymore. But if she left, she risked running into Jeff. Eventually she made the non-decision to just stay put. The warm water eventually started to work its magic, and she did start to relax slightly. She reached over to turn on the massaging jets, and decided to try to enjoy the bath as much as she could. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

Then immediately popped them open again. As soon as her eyes had closed, she saw Jeff's fully naked body in all its glory. Good lord, the man was built like the statue of David only more muscular. Jeff was wrong. His body wasn't a work of art, it was _better_ than a work of art. Even his… was bigger. Annie flushed full crimson at the thought. She'd seen Jeff naked once before, during his showdown with Coach Bogner, but never fully from the front. And somehow even the parts she had seen were better than she remembered.

She felt a heat rising from her core, and suddenly realized that one of the water jets was hitting a rather… sensitive… area. Without thinking, she slid closer to it, her lips parting and her eyes drifting part way closed. Her hand glided slowly down her stomach until she found her sweet spot and her hips began to roll unconsciously. Annie bit her lip as her fingers began working faster. Soon her breathing changed from heavy to short quick gasps and her eyes at last fell the rest of the way closed. Jeff's image once again filled her mind and her fingers redoubled their efforts. Soft cries began escaping her lips as she kept working ever faster. The sensations built and built until finally it was as if someone had touched off an explosion inside her. Annie arched her back, her head craned back, and let out a shuddering moan.

Her muscles slowly relaxed as she came down from her climax, and she melted back down into the tub. Her eyes remained closed as her breathing gradually returned to normal. At long last, she popped her eyes open. She glanced around furtively before turning off the jets and draining the tub. She toweled off quickly, stepped out of the tub and slipped her robe on. She inched the bathroom door open and scanned the main area of the suite. When she saw no sign of Jeff, she poked her head out and looked across at his room to find the door closed. She flung the door the rest of the way open and darted back around the corner into her own room.

Well. That was a first. She felt slightly guilty. She felt slightly naughty. But mostly she felt satisfied. As it turned out, her bath had ended up being quite relaxing after all.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jeff had never doubted that Annie had an amazing body. With all the tight clothing she so often wore, from the sweaters to the pants to the shirts… even the sweatshirts and skirts… it didn't exactly take a leap of the imagination to know that she was smuggling something nice under there. But Jeff had spent years pointedly trying _not_ to think of Annie in that way. Besides, sometimes your expectations of something can get so out of hand that when you finally experience the real thing, it can never measure up. But just occasionally, it so happened that you could have unrealistically high expectations of something, and the real thing could still blow them away.

Up until about a half hour ago, Jeff would've said that the woman with sexiest body he'd ever seen was actually Britta. But Annie had now ascended to that throne. Both Britta and Annie were in near perfect physical shape. But Annie also had those curves in all the right places…

Jeff was lying on the floor of his room, breathing heavily. After a moment's more rest, he began another set of calisthenics. He started with sit-ups, then push-ups, followed by squats, crunches and calf-raises. What he really needed was a cold shower, but Annie had remained in the bathroom after he'd bolted and he didn't dare go back to ask when she'd be done. His first instinct upon returning to his room had been to bury his head under a mound of pillows, but whenever he closed his eyes he saw Annie's naked form floating in front of him. So he'd settled for trying to work off his frustration.

He was eventually driven out of his room by the need for water. He'd been slightly dehydrated to begin with due to his illness, and adding the sauna and exercise on top of that made it too much to take. He poked his head out the door and scanned the suite. The bathroom door was now standing open and Annie's room was closed off. Jeff walked quickly over to the kitchen and downed two glasses of water in short order. He filled his glass a third time, then retreated to his room where he again changed back into his robe. He made sure to bring a change of clothes with him this time as he made his way back to the bathroom. He peeked in tentatively until he was sure it was empty, then entered and closed and locked the door behind him. The tile was still wet from the tsunami Annie's hasty retreat under the water had unleashed. Jeff pulled a towel off the rack and spread it out in front of the shower, then disrobed and stepped in.

The cold water felt good on his skin after the combination of the sauna and his workout. And for a while he was actually able to take his mind off the brunette in the room next door. He stayed in the shower until he began shivering from the cold, then shut it off and dried himself. He put on the change of clothes he'd brought, then fixed his hair and went over to the bathroom door. He unlocked it and peeked out, not seeing any sign of Annie. He pushed the door open and stepped out just as Annie did the same from her room. Annie froze like a squirrel, ready to dart back into her room, and Jeff likewise fought the urge to retreat into the bathroom. They eyed each other warily for a moment, until Jeff finally spoke.

"Good afternoon, Miss Edison." _What the hell was that?!_

Annie nodded properly. "And a fine day to you, Mr. Winger." Her eyes bulged slightly after she'd finished speaking.

They eyed each other for another moment until they both began speaking at the same time.

"I was just-"

"So do you-"

"I'm sorry-"

"No, go ahead-"

"We should-"

"I was thinking-"

Jeff could feel his cheeks flushing with embarrassment, and the rosy shade of pink on Annie's face told him that she was feeling the same.

"Look Annie," he said slowly, "Uh, I think we just need to acknowledge what happened so we can move past it."

"Mm-hmm!" Annie nodded quickly.

"I mean, really, when you think about it, this isn't such a big deal."

"Right!"

"We're both adults. I think we can handle this maturely."

"Absolutely!"

"I mean, people see each other naked, it happens all the time."

"Totally!"

"When I go to the sauna at my gym, I see lots of naked people. Mainly old men that kinda gross me out. Not that you gross me out. I mean, you're not an old man. Not that that's _why_ you don't gross me out. It's just that your body is a lot nicer than an old man's." _Oh my God, stop talking!_ "That's not… I mean, of _course_ your body is nicer than an old man's, it's nicer than a lot of things. What I mean is, you've got a really great body." _Nice save, jackass._

Annie had been nodding compulsively as Jeff blabbered. "Thanks! You have one too. Not an old man's body. A great body." Jeff didn't think it was possible, but she turned an even deeper shade of red.

"Uhh… anyway, maybe we should just take a few minutes apart to collect ourselves, then we can meet back up after lunch or something to prepare some more. That would probably be the breast- BEST thing."

"Uh huh! I definitely could use some food. We can continue our intercourse- DISCOURSE after lunch."

They stared at each other for a moment before yelping in unison, "Ok, bye!"

Jeff beat a hasty retreat to his room as Annie hung back awkwardly and waited for him to leave before scuttling over to the kitchen.

Jeff closed the door behind him before letting out the longest groan of his life. This was going to be one hell of a weekend.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **This was definitely the most challenging chapter to write thus far. I hope you like it! Also, for some reason, FF is refusing to acknowledge my section breaks, sorry if it's jumbled.

"You can't be serious!" Annie half-shouted.

Jeff looked up in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"We've spent the last five and a half days learning Australian laws, and your plan for defending Troy is to make a mockery of them?" Annie's face was an equal mixture of incredulity, hurt, and disappointment.

"Uh," Jeff took a moment to try to process Annie's outburst, "it's not so much making a mockery of them, think of it as looking for a creative loophole."

"You're inventing a story to try to get someone out of being punished!" Annie's eyes flashed with indignant anger.

Jeff furrowed his brow at her. "Annie, I don't understand your objection here. That _someone_ is Troy, and the whole reason we came down here was to get him out of being punished."

"Not like this!"

"Then how am I supposed to do it?" Jeff asked with exasperation.

"I don't know," Annie threw up her hands sarcastically, "maybe figure out a way without having to lie about what happened."

"Annie, I don't know how to put this nicely, so I'm just going to say it. Troy is guilty. You talked to him and you know it too."

"But just lying about it to get him off the hook is wrong! It's… cheating!" Annie had been steadily working herself into a righteous fury. "Simmons isn't going to be up there telling lies about everything."

Jeff meanwhile, was trying his best to remain calm, but only marginally succeeding. "I don't have a whole lot of options here, Annie. What do you want me to say? Yes, he's guilty, but please let him go anyway?" Jeff spread his hands helplessly. "The best I can hope for is to get a minimal sentence and Simmons is not going to go along with that. But even in the best case scenario, we're still talking prison time. Is that what you want?"

"No! I… I don't know!" Annie buried her face in her hands, her sense of propriety clearly at war with her desire to protect Troy. "There has to be a way win this without completely disregarding the truth." She muttered through her hands.

"Truth?" Jeff couldn't hold back any longer, and the lawyer in him was finally unleashed. "Truth is an artificial concept invented by philosophers to justify their own existence. And I hate to be the one to break this to you, but truth is relative. Especially in a courtroom. I deal with facts. Now, two people can look at the exact same set of facts and come up with two completely different truths, so who's to say which one is right? My job-" Jeff poked himself in the chest, "is to get the judge and jury to see the truth we want them to see. Because that verdict will become Troy's truth, regardless of how we get there."

Annie had dropped her hands half way through Jeff's speech and stared at him in consternation. "So that's it then? The ends justify the means?"

"In court? Yes."

"I can't believe you," Annie scoffed. "You're a lawyer who has no respect for the law. Is _anything_ sacred to you?"

"My _friends_ are sacred to me." Jeff said coldly. "And don't you dare lecture me about respect for the law. I've seen rapists and murderers, the absolute scum of the Earth, set loose on technicalities and men I've known to be innocent get sent to jail for life. I can guarantee you the same thing happens here. It's a shitty system, but it's the one we've got. And in that system, winning is the only thing that matters." Jeff folded his arms as he scowled at her. "You've got a decision to make here, Annie. We can be honorable and play by all the rules and then watch Troy spend the next few decades in prison. Or we can step out of our little fantasy world and realize that the _only_ thing that matters is protecting the people we care about."

Annie gaped at him. "Fantasy world? Well excuse me for thinking we were better than _Simmons_."

Jeff's eyes silently asked the ceiling for help. "If being better than Simmons means sending Troy to prison, then what's the point? The only way to be better than him is to beat him."

"But beating him shouldn't mean having to sell out who you are as a person, should it?" Annie asked earnestly.

"This _is_ who I am as a person, Annie. I'm a pragmatist. I live in the real world and I'm trying to deal with a real problem here." Jeff huffed in disbelief. "I can't believe you'd rather see Troy go to jail than tell a white lie."

Annie clenched her fists in frustration. "Stop accusing me of wanting to see Troy go to jail! I don't want that any more than you do, but that doesn't mean I think what he did was right and it doesn't mean I'm willing to do anything and everything to get him out of it. It was an accident, so no, he doesn't deserve the punishment Simmons wants to give him, but that doesn't make it ok for us to lie our way out of this. Troy has to be accountable for his actions." She gave him a significant look. "We _all_ have to be accountable for our actions. If not to some crappy justice system, then at least to each other. Because if we define right and wrong by what we can or can't get away with, then what does that make us?" Annie closed her eyes for a moment and gave a quick shake of her head. "I believe in right and wrong. I believe that truth is more than just whatever we decide suits us in the moment. That's who _I_ am as a person. And I'm not going to sit by and pretend that everything is ok while you make a mockery out of everything I believe in."

Annie stood and hurriedly scooped up several of her notebooks. "I'm glad you care about Troy, and I'm glad you want to protect him. But think about how he got here. Troy has some very important lessons he still needs to learn about life and the consequences of his actions. And maybe having you show up to keep him from having to deal with any of that isn't the best thing for him in the long run. You won't always be there to protect him and not all pirates turn out to be Star Trek fans." Annie hugged her notebooks to her chest and stared at her feet. "I love Troy, and I don't want to see his life ruined by this, but I also feel like he let us down by putting himself in so much danger. But I guess that's how it works isn't it?" Annie lifted her head and locked eyes with Jeff. "It's the people we love that can disappoint us the most." Annie turned and walked quickly back to her room, closing the door behind her after she entered.

Jeff watched her leave, feeling a mixture of frustration and annoyance, but also regret. A lot of things about their relationship had changed over the years, but at least this one thing hadn't: disappointing her still felt like choking The Little Mermaid with a bike chain. _Sorry Ariel, nothing personal, but Troy needs me._

Jeff grabbed their empty dinner plates and serving dishes from room service. He went to the kitchen and dropped them in the sink, muttering to himself about the futility of trying to be a paragon of virtue as a defense attorney. He strolled back to the table and collected his notes before making his way back to his room. Once there, he closed the door, pulled his shoes off and flopped down on the bed to go over his plan again.

Halfway through his review, he found that he was still preoccupied with what Annie had said. His first clue being the imaginary debate he found himself having. "I _could_ argue that the charges are excessive given that no one was hurt, and there hasn't been any lasting damage to the harbor. But Simmons isn't going to back down on any of this and any admission of guilt without a good explanation is going to play right into his hands. Although it shouldn't be too difficult to convince the jury otherwise if Simmons goes overboard on trying to paint Troy as some kind of evil genius. It's a hell of risk though… we'd basically be guaranteeing a conviction, and just hoping that it's only on the lesser stuff and that they go easy on him in sentencing. And even if I got it knocked down to just a fine, how's Troy going to pay it? He doesn't have Pierce's inheritance yet. Though I suppose Gilbert might be willing to float him a loan…"

Jeff gave himself a shake, but continued talking to himself. "Why am I even considering this? The better bet is to lie." Although, if he was being honest, that path wasn't without its dangers either. Troy would inevitably be put on the stand, and if he slipped up under Simmons' questioning… Jeff had a brief mental image of Troy breaking down on the stand and tearfully confessing to everything short of being the second gunman on the grassy knoll. His other concern was one he did not like admitting, even just to himself. Or maybe, especially to himself. He wasn't completely sure he was up to the task. It was getting close to six years since he had his license suspended. Six years since he'd been at the peak of his lawyerly powers. After graduation, he figured that he'd just pick up right where he'd left off, but his foray back into law had not gone well. He'd lost his edge. Whatever killer instinct he used to have just hadn't seemed to be there anymore. And that killer instinct was what he was going to need if he was going to sell his cock-and-bull story to the jury.

Something else Annie had said was playing around in his head. He hadn't been able to figure out why, but he'd been feeling strangely angry at Troy over the last week. He'd been so caught up with the upcoming trial that he hadn't taken the time to try to figure it out. But when Annie said she felt like Troy had let them down by putting himself in danger, it had all clicked into place. First the pirates, then the explosion and fire… the group had already lost Troy once, and now on two occasions they'd almost lost him for good. Troy didn't seem to realize any of that, and that was a problem. He still had another ocean to cross after all, and it was the biggest one. Annie was right, Troy had some very important lessons he needed to learn, and the sooner the better. Jeff didn't think prison was the way for that to happen, but he knew that wasn't what she meant.

Jeff took a deep breath as he rubbed his eyes, then refocused on his defense plan. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best option.

It really was.

It was.

It… was.

Jeff closed his eyes and saw Annie's ponytail swaying back and forth as she'd retreated back to her room.

_It's the people we love that can disappoint us the most._

"Dammit."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Annie blew her nose into a tissue, then wiped away a tear. After tossing her tissue in the waste basket, she glanced in the mirror to find her eyes red and puffy. She wasn't entirely sure why she was crying, but her emotions were all jumbled up so she wasn't completely surprised either. Yes, she'd argued with Jeff, but they'd had worse. And while she did not approve of his plan, there was a part of her that was screaming that it didn't matter as long as it helped Troy. It also didn't help that the trial started the next morning and she was wracked with anxiety.

The part that bothered her most though, was that they'd put in so much work learning all about these obscure Australian environmental, cultural and historical laws. At the time, she hadn't understood why he was interested in some of them, but she figured he was the lawyer and he had his reasons. Now that she knew what those reasons were, it felt like a betrayal. All that work she'd put in towards helping him build a dishonest case… And here she'd thought he'd changed. But in the end, it was just another classic Winger blow-off, all he'd wanted was to be sure he tied up all the loose ends of his lies.

_This is who I am as a person, Annie._

It's not like she hadn't known that. Jeff had always been remarkably honest about the fact that he was a liar. Or at least, willing to lie to get what he wanted. But over the years he'd grown and changed so much… she'd hoped he'd left that part of himself behind. So it hurt to see him reverting back to his old pre-Greendale lawyer tendencies. It made her wonder if there were other ways in which he hadn't changed as much as she thought he had.

Annie glanced at the clock on the nightstand in time to see it click over to midnight. Perhaps it was the power of suggestion, but she immediately had to stifle a yawn. She went into her suitcase to dig out her toothbrush. Morning would be arriving all too soon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Annie awoke to the sound of birds chirping cheerfully from her phone. She reached over and slapped off the alarm, then let out a deep yawn as she stretched her entire body. She rolled out of bed and grabbed the outfit she'd laid out the night before: the same black skirt and jacket with white dress shirt she'd worn during the Pam the Yam murder trial. Annie wasn't particularly superstitious, but a little extra luck never hurt.

She made her way to the bathroom where she showered and dressed. After fixing her hair and putting on a bit of makeup, she went out to the kitchen to make herself breakfast. She was starting to think it was strange she'd seen no sign of Jeff, but when she got to the refrigerator, she understood why. A note was taped to the door in Jeff's hurried lettering.

_Annie - had to leave earlier than expected. Need to go over something with Troy. Sorry for not letting you know sooner. See you at the trial. I made coffee._

_-Jeff_

Annie poured herself a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee. As she ate, she tried to ignore the pit of nervousness that had been growing in her stomach. The results of today would determine the next 20 years of Troy's life, so you know, no big deal.

When she'd finished eating, she called the concierge to make sure a cab would be available to take her to the courthouse. Then she went back to her room to gather the rest of her things. Despite the milk she'd had with her cereal and the coffee, Annie's mouth felt like it was full of cotton balls. She chalked it up to nerves, but she wasn't sure if they'd allow her to bring water into the courtroom, so she dug around in her purse to see if she had any mints. Not finding any, she was about to call the concierge again when she remembered that Jeff had bought a supply at the airport in Los Angeles.

The door to his room was open, and even though she knew he wasn't there, she still tiptoed in as if she expected to be caught at any moment. Jeff had three different suitcases and, not wanting to go rooting through all his stuff, she was about to give up when she saw part of the plastic gift shop bag poking out of an unzipped suitcase. She gingerly raised the corner of the suitcase and pulled out the bag. It was heavier than she expected. She reached into the bag and her fingers came into contact with something heavy and hard. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she pulled out the object in question. It was some sort of flat metal disc, and on top of it was a familiar, somewhat alien-looking structure. She turned the object slightly in her hand, and suddenly realization hit her like a sledgehammer. She gasped and almost dropped the replica of the LAX Theme Building that she and Jeff had visited together during their layover.

Annie's knees felt weak and she found herself sitting on the floor, clutching the replica to her chest. Jeff had once very publicly embarrassed her for "reading into some things," but there weren't a whole lot of ways to interpret something like this. _"You must be the only person on the planet who wants a souvenir from an airport layover,"_ he had teased her. Well who was being sentimental now? Annie found herself grinning like an idiot, but she didn't care. Her fears about whether Jeff had really changed seemed a distant and foolish memory. She remembered to grab the roll of mints before reverently placing the replica in the bag and then back into Jeff's suitcase. Despite her continued anxiety, she was actually starting to feel optimistic for the first time since she'd learned about Jeff's planned defense. Maybe this day wouldn't be so bad after all.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Annie sat in the front row of the observation area, directly behind the defendant's table where Troy and Jeff were sitting. Simmons sat in his wheelchair on the opposite side of the courtroom, comparing notes with a colleague and looking as smug as ever. The rest of the observation area was packed full of news media and other curious people lucky enough to get a seat for this trial that had captivated the city.

Annie glanced around nervously, glad that she wouldn't have to do anything more than observe. An animated buzz of conversation permeated the room as the onlookers' anticipation continued to build. The bailiff called Jeff and Simmons to the front to go over some procedural items, and as Jeff strolled towards the judge's bench, Troy turned and beckoned for Annie to lean closer.

"Hey Annie," he whispered, "I wanted to say I'm sorry."

Annie's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "For what?"

Troy grimaced. "Jeff came and talked to me this morning. He told me that those guys in Somalia weren't really coast guard. And he told me how lucky I was I didn't blow myself up or die in the fire… I guess I didn't realize how dangerous this trip really was. Or maybe I just didn't want to. Jeff said that I had to be more responsible because if anything happened to me, all you guys would have to live with it. So… I'm sorry I made you worry so much." Troy smiled nervously. "Jeff also said that he couldn't use the plan he'd come up with for my defense and that it might mean I'd have to spend more time in jail, so I wanted to say I'm sorry now because I don't know if we'll get to talk again when this is over."

Annie's mouth worked soundlessly and she found it difficult to breathe. Too stunned for words, she instead wrapped Troy in a tight hug. Troy tentatively wrapped his arms around her and gave her a pat on the back. When she pulled back, her eyes stung and her mouth was trembling. Troy did his best to give her a reassuring smile, but that just made Annie want to cry even more. Desperate not to break down in the middle of the courtroom, she looked towards the judge's bench where she saw Simmons gazing at her, a devious smile painted on his face. That did the trick, and Annie suddenly felt more like punching someone than crying.

Simmons and Jeff returned to their respective tables, and Jeff shot her a wink before he sat down. The bailiff called the court to order, then ushered in the jury and announced the judge. Once all the formalities were out of the way, the judge called for opening statements. Simmons backed out from behind his table and deliberately maneuvered himself to the center of the courtroom. After facing the judge, he slowly turned his chair to look around the courtroom, bearing a visage much like that of Christ cleansing the temple. When at last he stopped, he was facing the jury, at which point he began speaking.

"The events of twelve July are well known and they are not in dispute. A man, unbeknownst to his esteemed travelling companion, carried out his plot to dump petroleum into our fair harbor and light it afire." Simmons spread his hands. "But why, you ask. What sort of monster would do such a thing? It is not always easy for the virtuous to understand the wicked. But by the end of this debate-" Simmons faltered briefly, then carried on as if nothing had happened, "trial, I will demonstrate to you that not only did the accused perpetrate the acts of twelve July, but did so with forethought and a malice of intent that demands that he be removed from society and made to pay for his actions."

Simmons stopped to allow for a dramatic pause. "I'm going to tell you a story. A tale of star-crossed lovers and the lengths of depravity to which one of them was willing to go." Annie felt the pit in her stomach growing. She didn't know where Simmons was going with this, but she knew it wasn't good. Simmons began turning his chair slowly as he continued. "To fully understand the motivations of the degenerate sitting before you, we must first start at the beginning. It began," Simmons stopped turning his chair, his eyes locked on Annie and she felt the blood drain from her face, "with a high school outcast who had a crush on the star quarterback… and a pill addiction."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jeff's face was calm and composed as his listened to Simmons work through his opening statement, but underneath he was a boiling cauldron of rage. Six years ago if he had gone up against a prosecutor like Simmons he would have been grudgingly impressed. But now? Now he was just mad.

Simmons had spun a story that painted Annie and Troy as some sort of modern day Bonnie and Clyde. Except that instead of robbing banks, they were out to destroy the environment. He claimed that Troy's episode in the harbor was his desperate attempt to win back the affections of the woman that had outgrown him. He even managed to produce a copy of the Gazette Journal Mirror which pictured a celebratory Duncan kneeling in front of an oil covered Annie and Britta. It was fantastical, it was vivid, it was complex, it was borderline anti-Semitic, but most of all, it was designed to enrage the court members against Troy. And judging by the looks on their faces, it was working. Never mind that it wasn't the least bit true.

As Simmons wrapped up his speech and returned to his table, Jeff could hear angry murmurs from the gallery behind him. He knew that his argument that the charges were excessive wasn't going to get a warm reception, nor would his plea for leniency. The worst part was, despite Simmons' tale being rife with falsehoods, there wasn't anything in it that Jeff could concretely disprove. LeVar could testify that it was an accident, but Simmons had made it clear that Troy hid his plan from him. Troy and Annie could deny having any sort of feelings for each other all they wanted, but Simmons could make it appear nothing but self-serving. How do you prove to a jury that you aren't in love with someone? Simmons couldn't concretely prove his story either, except that everyone knew that the fire had been reality, and that Troy had been on the boat. Those bits of truth combined with the anger in the room spelled trouble for Troy.

Troy leaned over and started whispering to Jeff. "Maybe we should just plead guilty, I had no idea I was such a bad person." Jeff turned and gave him an incredulous look. "But you gotta believe me Jeff, I'm not going after Annie or anything. I mean, she's hot and all, but we're just friends!"

Jeff rolled his eyes and kept his voice low. "I _know_ that Troy. I can't believe I have to tell you this, but Simmons made all that crap up." Jeff had to roll his eyes again at the relieved look on Troy's face.

The judge called for Jeff's opening statement, and he stood slowly. For the first time in his life, he felt nervous in a courtroom. He'd never been so certain of losing. He knew what he wanted to do. He knew what he needed to do. But for some reason he just couldn't-

"_Jeff. Jeff!_" An insistent whisper came from behind him, and Jeff turned to look at Annie. Her eyes were practically spitting molten lava as she hissed, "_Destroy. Him._"

Jeff broke into a wide grin and all his nervousness abruptly went away. He sauntered to the center of the courtroom and faced the jury.

"Well. My colleague, Mr. Simmons promised us a story, and boy did he deliver. Fiction can be entertaining, can't it? Now, allow me to tell you another story. Your Honor, Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, esteemed guests – my client, is guilty." Gasps echoed from around the courtroom, and Jeff let his words hang in the air for dramatic effect. "Guilty of loving the country of Australia so much that he put on an artistic performance to honor her history and her most sacred traditions. The man sitting before you is no villain. He is a knight errant. A wandering bard that seeks to spread joy to the masses. He has the soul of a poet, and the heart of a hero."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He was… amazing. There was no other way to put it. Even Annie, who knew the whole truth about what had really happened, found herself swept up in Jeff's saga. He took the incident in the harbor and turned it into Troy's performance art rendition of Aboriginal fire-stick farming combined with Australia's history as a seafaring nation and somehow also a tribute to the ANZAC involvement in the Gallipoli Campaign. Annie knew it was all crap. She knew it. And yet she found herself nodding in agreement with all of Jeff's points and getting excited by the nationalistic fervor he was spewing – and she wasn't even Australian.

Jeff was entirely in his element. Like a duck in water, he effortlessly guided the room along his narrative path. Jeff had never lacked for charisma, but this was a whole different level from what Annie had ever seen. And if she was being honest, she was more than a little turned on by it. Everyone except Simmons was eating out of his hand, and by the time he finished, the mood in the room had changed from wanting to crucify Troy to wanting to canonize him.

Once Jeff had taken his seat, Simmons wasted no time in calling Troy to the stand. Simmons' face was a thunderhead, and Annie could tell he was straining to keep himself calm. Troy ambled up to the witness stand, took his oath, and sat nonchalantly in the chair.

"Mr. Barnes," Simmons said with a practiced condescension as Troy smiled at him, "would you mind telling the court what the ANZAC is?"

Troy shrugged. "It's the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps."

Simmons recoiled slightly in surprise. "Very well, can you please enlighten us as to the importance of their involvement in the Gallipoli Campaign?"

Annie saw Jeff tense up as Simmons asked his question. Troy, however, looked untroubled. "Well, the ANZAC was first formed during the Battle of Gallipoli in World War I. But aren't you like an Australian citizen now? Why do you need me to tell you about history?"

"Humor me."

"Ok," Troy sighed, "the Gallipoli Campaign was the Allies' attempt to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula to open the way for Allied navies to access the Black Sea. They also wanted to knock the Ottomans out of the war quickly. The Ottomans were an empire, except that they didn't have an emperor like in Star Wars, they were a monarchy, which I think has something to do with butterflies." The haughty look had been steadily sliding off Simmons' face as Troy answered, but it was replaced entirely by a glower as the room filled with jovial laughter and Troy sat there grinning. After the laughter died down, Troy continued. "It didn't work though. The Allies had to pull out and a lot of people died. The whole event had a big effect on people here and in New Zealand. So now every April 25th is ANZAC day, to celebrate the people who served and died in wars and other fights. This year was the 99th anniversary of the landing. I know I was a little late, sorry everyone." The room filled with laughter again and Annie noticed Jeff visibly relax. For her part, Annie was shocked by how much Troy knew about Australian military history.

Simmons occupied himself with grinding his teeth until the laughter faded once again. Not having been able to stump Troy on the history of the ANZAC, Simmons next turned to the Aboriginal fire-stick farming.

"Why do you need me to explain that?" Troy asked indignantly, "Because I'm black I must instinctively understand Aboriginal culture?"

Simmons' mouth dropped open. "No! That's not… Just answer the question!" he snapped.

Annie had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. Troy didn't use it often, but this was an act he had perfected and never failed to get the desired response. Troy went on to explain the cultural significance of fire-stick farming and its supposed, though controversial, benefits to the ecosystem. Simmons kept probing with questions, but Troy answered them all fluidly as Simmons continually grew more and more flustered. By the time he gave up trying to catch Troy in a lie he had lost all momentum. His own attack questions came off as awkward and petty and Troy's assured demeanor built everyone's trust in him. When at last he turned Troy over to Jeff, the brash and cocky Simmons had long departed and he sat behind his table and brooded.

Jeff didn't spend very long questioning Troy. Simmons had actually done most the work for him. They bantered back and forth effortlessly, and the interrogation felt more like listening in on a conversation between lifelong friends than court testimony. At one point, the judge had to call for order after Jeff's question about the stern (of the ship) and Troy's resulting confusion about how a boat could be mad at him had people rolling in the aisles. By the time Troy was dismissed from the stand, Annie was feeling positively giddy.

LeVar was next on the stand, and although he was mostly noncommittal, he played along with Jeff's version of events. Simmons called a few of the emergency responders to testify about the fire and the fact that Troy had been found on the boat, but it was nothing remarkable. Jeff had made no effort to deny Troy's presence. By the time the prosecution rested its case, Simmons looked utterly defeated.

Jeff had already questioned all of his relevant witnesses, so the trial moved swiftly on to closing statements. Simmons again went first, and although he tried to recapture the fire and brimstone of his initial story about Troy and Annie, it was obvious that it wasn't getting the same traction it had during his opening statement. He also focused on the fact that the defense had admitted Troy had dumped gas into the harbor and lit it on fire, but by the time he finished his heart didn't seem to be in it anymore. The whole thing seemed oddly anticlimactic to Annie.

When Jeff was called for his closing statement, he simply stood and addressed the jury. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, you have heard two very different accounts of the events surrounding the fire in the harbor on July twelfth. I think it is obvious from the testimony today where the truth lies. But perhaps some of you still have doubts." Jeff stepped back from his chair so that he was next to the railing separating the gallery from courtroom floor, then he turned and looked at Annie. "Annie, would you stand please?"

Annie jumped in surprise and her eyes went wide, but she hesitantly rose to her feet nonetheless. "Thank you." Jeff turned back to the jury. "The woman standing before you is none other than Annie Edison, the alleged temptress of Mr. Simmons' story." Annie cringed and gave an uneasy wave to the jury. "If any of you still lend credence to the veracity of Mr. Simmons' claims that my client is infatuated with this woman, then I would ask that you carefully observe my client's reaction… to this."

In one swift motion, Jeff leaned over the railing and pulled Annie close to him. She didn't even have time to gasp in astonishment before their lips came crashing together. It was like Abed's movie all over again and Annie once more lost herself in Jeff. Her arms immediately shot around him and she licked eagerly into his mouth as she tried desperately to pull him into her. She was vaguely aware of the collective intake of breath from around the courtroom and Troy's exultant shout of triumph.

At last Jeff pulled back from her, Annie's fingers still clawing at his suit jacket in an effort to keep him close, and swiveled his head back towards the jury. "I rest my case." Jeff turned back to Annie and her wide, hopeful eyes gazed into his slate blue ones, their faces still just inches apart. He smiled slightly, his eyes tinged with a tenderness that made Annie want to weep. "Annie Edison," he said softly, "I love you."

Annie's knees gave out and she had the brief sensation of being caught in Jeff's arms before the world went black.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** This chapter contains a flashback. See! It's just like the show! Thank you to everyone who is reading, especially those that have been so supportive with their comments!

_Ten Days Earlier…_

The heavy wooden door opened slowly, and Shirley started in surprise. "Jeff! What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Shirley," Jeff smiled at her, "um, mind if I come in? There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

Shirley arched her eyebrows but opened the door further and ushered Jeff inside, where they then headed into the living room. As Jeff approached the couch, he couldn't help but think about the last time he'd seen it: Annie lying on her side, her eyes half-closed, whispering…

"Would you like to sit?"

Jeff snapped out of his reverie. "Oh, uh, yeah thanks." Jeff sat in the same corner of the couch he'd been in the week before. Shirley sat in a recliner that was perpendicular to the couch, and positioned herself so that she was facing Jeff.

Shirley gave Jeff a slight smile. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

_No point in beating around the bush._ "How's your dad doing?"

Shirley's face immediately crumpled. "Oh… he has the early stages of dementia. He had an episode where he was slurring his speech and was generally confused, that's when my mom took him to the hospital. She thought he might have had a stroke."

Jeff winced at the word 'dementia' and his heart sank. "What's his prognosis?"

Shirley frowned. "It's too soon to tell. It's degenerative, but they don't know how fast it'll move. There are a few medications they can try, but there's no cure." A tremor rippled through Shirley's voice, and she looked to be on the verge of tears.

Jeff's face felt like it was made out of stone. He couldn't explain how, but as soon he'd heard the news from Annie and Britta on the movie set, he'd known it would be something like this. Something bad. Something that might mean… "What about your mom, how's she holding up?"

"About as well as can be expected," Shirley sighed. "But my dad is going to need more and more care, and my mom has really bad arthritis. He used to be the one that always helped her, and I don't know if she'll be able to handle everything on her own once he starts getting worse."

Jeff knew what he had to say next, but he didn't want to. It felt like tearing out a piece of his soul. "Why don't you go down there to help them out?" he managed.

Shirley eyed Jeff carefully. "I've… I've thought about it…"

"And?"

"Andre thinks we should do it, but it's not that simple…" Shirley broke her gaze away from Jeff. "We'd have to find someplace to live, the boys would have to start over in a new school, Andre and I would have to find jobs, and who's going to manage Shirley's Sandwiches?"

Jeff wanted to agree with her, to tell her that her concerns were all understandable and valid, and that she needed to stay. He just couldn't. "Shirley, all those things can be worked out. The only question you need to ask yourself is this: would you regret it if you didn't go?"

Shirley closed her eyes and sat still for several moments. "Yes," she said at last, "I would."

"Then I think you know what you need to do." Jeff gave her an encouraging smile, despite the empty hole he already felt growing inside himself. "And it just so happens that I may be able to help you out with some of your problems."

Shirley gave him a curious look. "What do you mean?"

"Well, there's this guy I met back when I was a lawyer. I was representing someone who was accused in a missing person case and this guy was in town because the victim's family had hired him to try to help locate her. He's the best detective I've ever seen, and we got to be friends. He lives in this small bayou town outside Atlanta."

"What happened to the little girl?" Shirley asked, her eyes wide.

"Little girl?"

"The victim in your case…"

"Oh, uh…" Jeff scratched his head, "not a little girl… she was like eighty. She and my client met on the internet and, well… fell in love."

"Oh, that's nice!" Shirley cooed.

"My client was nineteen."

"Ohhh…"

"Yeah… they kept it hidden because they figured the family would make her go back to Atlanta. Which they did, although my client went with her." Jeff's look of distaste matched Shirley's.

"That's… nice. I guess…"

"Anyway, the point is, I think you and my friend could help each other out." Jeff went on to explain the incident a few months earlier where his friend, Mr. Butcher, had lost the use of his legs and his wife had gone missing. "I'm worried about him, being all alone like he is. He could use someone like you around to help him with day-to-day stuff like cooking. He's all by himself in that great big mansion, plenty of room for Andre and the kids too. And it's not far from your parents."

"Oh, Jeffrey!" Shirley jumped up and stretched her arms out, waving her hands frantically for him to come in for a hug.

Jeff rose slowly, and wrapped his arms around Shirley, giving her a squeeze as tight as any he'd ever given. "I'll put you guys in touch. I'm... going to miss you, Shirley Bennett," Jeff barely managed to keep his voice from cracking. When they separated, tears were welling in Shirley's eyes. "Just promise me you won't leave before I get back from Australia, ok?"

Shirley nodded quickly, the motion shaking loose a tear that rolled down her left cheek. "I'm sure it will take us a while to work out the details, and then we'll have to pack and arrange the move… and I'll have to ask around to find a store manager…" Shirley froze as something seemed to occur to her. "Do me a favor though, don't tell Annie about this. I want to tell her in person."

"Sure…"

"Oh, I can't believe this is actually going to happen!" she exclaimed, looking slightly dazed.

"Kinda hard for me to believe too."

Shirley eyed him suspiciously. "Are you going to be alright?"

Jeff started in surprise, then shifted uncomfortably. "Huh? I'm fine. Why?"

Shirley gave him a reproachful look. "Remember what I said about not lying to me? I know how you get when you lose someone important to you. Don't think I didn't notice the way you were acting after Pierce died and Troy left, no matter how much you tried to hide it."

"You think you're important to me? Wow, someone's a bit full of themselves." Jeff grinned at her, but he knew she could see right through him. She always could.

Shirley planted her hands on her hips and tapped her foot impatiently. "I'm serious, Jeffrey. And I refuse to be the reason behind another incident like you had on your birthday."

Jeff felt some of the blood drain out of his face. "Shirley… that's… I'm not…"

Despite being very close in age to each other, Shirley's look managed to make Jeff feel like a five year old that had just been caught sneaking too many cookies. It was some sort of evil sorcery that all moms seemed to have knowledge of. "You know, I didn't want to be too hard on you when it happened, and you seemed to be a lot better afterwards so I didn't want to push it. But I guess now's a good a time as any." Shirley's arm moved like a flash and swatted Jeff on the back of the head. "What the hell were you thinkin', boy?"

Jeff's hand came up reflexively and rubbed at the spot where she'd smacked him. "Ok… I suppose I deserved that. I don't really know what to tell you though, other than I wasn't thinking."

"That's your problem, Jeffrey. You never think about these things. You just bottle everything up until something sets you off."

Jeff stared at her dumbly, unsure of how to respond.

Shirley arched an eyebrow at him. When it became apparent he wasn't going to say anything, she continued. "Jeff, you're one of the strongest people I know. But you're hard, inflexible. And when you put too much pressure on something hard, it breaks. And that's what you do to yourself."

"Shirley, I-"

Shirley's glare cut him off. "Hush now boy, I'm on a roll. Remember the last time we were all at Deb and George's place? Afterwards? You went on and on about how Britta refuses to use her own financial support network and borrows money from all of us instead. Well you're the same way. You refuse to use your own emotional support network. Any of us would've been happy to help you through what you were dealing with, but we can't help if you won't let us."

Shirley fell silent and Jeff hesitated for an awkward moment to make sure she was done. "Can I defend myself now?" Shirley rolled her eyes and nodded. "Look, this stuff doesn't come naturally to me, you know that. For a long time I lived in a world where you didn't dare show even the slightest sign of weakness, so that's the way I learned to be. And it worked great for me. It was all you guys who convinced me to start caring and stuff, so when you think about it, it's really all your fault."

"Oh, that's a load of crap and you know it." Shirley huffed in frustration. "That was over five years ago, Jeffrey. And were you ever really happy back then?"

"Of course-"

"Don't! I told you not to lie to me. You say that we made you start caring. I think you were desperate to care about something, but just didn't know how to start. And I know that you do care, and it's wonderful to see. But when are you going to learn that part of caring about someone is allowing them to care about you in return?" Shirley's voice had taken on a pleading tone, "No one can make it alone in this world, and it's not a weakness to need other people. My nana used to always tell me that the only time you can be brave is when you feel afraid, and the only time you can be strong is when you feel weak. A rock isn't brave or strong, it just is."

Shirley took a deep breath and a pained look came over her. "Do you have any idea what it was like for us? Standing in that room watching you lie there, unmoving, for hour after hour? You crashed at one point and the doctors came rushing in, and we all thought we were going to lose you. Poor Annie must have cried for an hour straight." Jeff felt like someone had just stabbed him in the heart. "And what was I supposed to do? Tell her everything was going to be ok when I didn't know that or even fully believe it? Abed just stood there like a statue, I thought the boy was catatonic. Britta alternated between being overly upbeat and freaking out. And I don't need to tell you that Chang and the Dean were no help. Hickey was the only one who wasn't completely useless, but he's not exactly the most emotionally available person either."

Jeff hadn't known many details about what it had been like for his friends. He knew it wasn't good, but none of them had confronted him about it until now, and he'd convinced himself that it couldn't have been all that terrible… "I'm… sorry…" he mumbled.

"Oh, Jeffrey," Shirley sighed and wrapped him in another hug. "I don't want to make you feel bad," she said, her voice muffled through part of his shirt. "I just want you to know how much we all care about you. _We_ need you and _you_ need us. And even if I'm in Atlanta, I'm not going to be out of your life, ok?" She gave him a squeeze and stepped back. "We have phones, we have Skype, and don't think you're going to get away with me not visiting – gotta check on my sandwich shop after all."

Jeff gave her a lopsided smile. "Thanks, Shirley."

"And in the meantime, if you need someone to talk to in person, you've still got people here to listen. Britta, Abed, Duncan, the Dean, Chang – if you're feeling extra crazy, or, you know… Annie…" Shirley's voice trailed off with an air of nonchalance that was just a little too nonchalant to be natural.

Jeff narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "Well, if I do my job in Australia, maybe I'll get to add Troy back to that list. Speaking of which, Annie's and my flight leaves tomorrow afternoon, and I've got some packing left to do…"

Shirley averted her gaze and her eyes darted around quickly. "Mm-hmm, I understand. I'll let you get back to it."

"It's going to be a long trip," Jeff said casually. "Cooped up on a plane for almost eighteen hours each way. I'm glad I'll have Annie to keep me company."

"Mm-hmm, that'll be nice." Shirley had started wringing her hands and rocking back and forth.

"And it'll be good to have her around once we're there too, I'm sure Troy will be happy to see her. I doubt we'll have time to go out and do much though, we'll probably be stuck together at the hotel most of the time."

"MmmMmmmm." Shirley's lips were pressed flat and she looked about ready to burst. One more push ought to do it…

"Gilbert didn't seem too worried about how long we'd be there though. Maybe when we're done with the trial, we could spend some time together seeing-"

"LOVE! YOU'RE IN LOVE! YOU'RE IN LOVE! YOU ARE IN LOVE WITH THAT GIRL! LOOOVVVE!" Shirley's finger narrowly avoided stabbing Jeff in the eye.

Under normal circumstances, Jeff would now be celebrating his victory over making her spill her secret. But in this case… "Who told you?"

The guilty look on her face confirmed everything, he just didn't know who the traitor was. "I don't know what you're talking about," Shirley squeaked.

Jeff decided to play a hunch. "I'll be sure to thank Britta the next time I see her." He turned towards the door, as if to leave.

Shirley's hand clutched at his arm. "It wasn't her fault!" she said desperately.

Jeff spun back towards Shirley. "Ah HA! I _knew_ it!"

Shirley stopped in surprise. "You mean you…" her face filled with dismay, "Jeff please, she didn't mean to! She just…"

"Britta'd it?" Jeff asked sardonically.

A short, sharp laugh escaped from Shirley's lips, replaced immediately by a look of guilt. "She was working late Monday night and that's-"

"Body shot night, I'm aware."

"-Uh, and her friend left her and she didn't have a ride and was too drunk to… Anyway, I picked her up and drove her home."

Jeff raised his eyebrows. "And, what? You decided to have a philosophical discussion about my love life?"

"No, well, um, she talks in her sleep. At least, she does when she's been drinking." Shirley gave him a confused look. "Didn't you know that?"

"Why would I know that?"

"Well… you two used to…" Shirley trailed off uncomfortably.

"Oh," Jeff felt a flash of embarrassment, "well we uh, we almost never _slept_ together when we were sleeping together."

It had ended over three years earlier, but Shirley still gave him her best judgmental face before snapping out of it. "Anyway," she went on sweetly, "the next day I _happened_ to be in her neighborhood with coffee to help with her hangover, and under threat of loud noises and bright lights, I made her spill the beans."

"Tell me again why you don't work for the CIA?"

"But you can't let her know I told you! I promised her I wouldn't!" Shirley pleaded.

Jeff was annoyed with the whole situation, but not overly upset. Britta had been careless and Shirley had been nosy, but neither of those things surprised him. It's not how he imagined Shirley finding out – that plan had involved him being at a minimum safe distance, like say, Australia. But she was going to find out sooner or later. At least her guilt over her method of finding out had her on the defensive instead of beating the crap out of him.

"Well," he said slowly, "I _might_ not tell her… but while I think about that, I'll also think about what you can do for me in return."

Shirley rolled her eyes. "Philistine…"

"You know me," Jeff chuckled. "Anyway, I really _do_ need to finish packing for tomorrow, so I really should-"

"Uh uh uh! If you actually think you're getting out of here without discussing this whole thing between you and Annie, then you're a lot dumber than I thought."

"Dammit."

"Mm-hmm. I thought so."

"Ok fine," Jeff sighed, "tell me what a monster I am."

Shirley's eyebrows raised. "Monster?"

"You know," Jeff started uncomfortably, "I'm forty, she's twenty three…"

Shirley folded her arms and fixed him with an impatient look. "Well I'm not going to pretend like I'm overly enthusiastic about that point, but Annie's an intelligent, mature _adult_ and she can make her own decisions. Maybe you should start thinking of her that way."

"I do!"

"Then how come the first thing out of your mouth was to call yourself a monster because of your age difference?"

Jeff opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Why had he started with that? He really _did_ think of Annie as an intelligent, mature adult… smarter and more mature than himself. In fact, so much more mature than him that she… wait… "Maybe because I'm the immature one?" his words came out as a half-question/half-mumble.

Shirley didn't say anything, she just nodded approvingly.

"Why does self-actualization always seem to involve humiliating revelations about yourself?"

Shirley laughed lightly. "Maybe it's just extra motivation to make you want to change." She gave him a pointed look. "But seriously, Jeff, if you love this girl then you can't be hung up on something as silly as a number. Love doesn't know anything about age, just look at that case you and your friend were involved in."

"Ok, prooobably not the best example to give as part of a pep talk." Shirley shrugged innocently. "But believe me, I don't think of Annie as a child anymore. I just get programmed in certain ways… I never expected any of this." Jeff shook his head. "I mean, I was going after Britta… how was I supposed to know I'd end up falling in love with the little brunette Goody Two-Shoes that found out about the group by accident?" Shirley grinned at him and made an excited noise in her throat. At least someone was enjoying this… "I don't know when it started exactly, hell, it probably started from the moment I met her, but it didn't really hit me until you walked in on us in the study room and told us that Abed thought we were going to kiss. And then when she _did_ kiss me at the debate, I knew I was in trouble. So then somewhere along the line I started thinking of her as a child. Not because she was one, but to shame myself into keeping my hands off her."

"Well I admire your restraint," Shirley said dryly. "Even if I don't like your method."

"Hey, I did the best I could in my situation!" Jeff said defensively. "The old me wasn't exactly shy about going to bed with women, and I didn't want to do that to Annie." Jeff paused and took a moment to collect himself. "Anyway, I got over it eventually. She kinda forced me to by being, you know… Annie. But I guess part of me never stopped worrying what other people would think of me. So that hang-up has to do with me not her. But I also always thought… I _still_ think… I don't know, that, she can do better than me…"

She probably didn't intend it, but Shirley's eyes filled with what could only be called pity, and Jeff hated himself for it. "Jeffrey…" she said sadly, "I wish you could see yourself the way we see you. You're not perfect, but that just means you're human. What's it going to take for you to finally realize that you're a good person?" Shirley's demeanor quickly changed from melancholy to determined. "But all that aside, you do not get to decide what's good enough for Annie. That's her decision and hers alone. You need to be honest with that girl. Put yourself out there. Because if you don't, it's not fair to her and it's not fair to you."

"I know that, Shirley… Really, I do." Jeff looked around helplessly. "I'm just… I'm…"

"Scared?" Shirley finished for him. Jeff nodded feebly and silently thanked her for not making him say it. "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Annie once: love is always a gamble, but waiting won't change the dice. You either roll them or lose your turn."

Jeff furrowed his brow. "When and why did you tell Annie that?"

"A long time ago," Shirley sighed. "About Troy. She told me she was going to roll the dice too. But look what happened. She never did."

_Well that seems to have worked out in my favor at least._ "Don't worry, that's not going to happen with me. Believe me, I want to tell her. I'm _going_ to tell her."

"Good." Shirley gave a sharp nod of approval, then suddenly looked hesitant. "Just… be careful, ok?"

"I will," Jeff nodded. "I mean, that's probably the biggest reason I haven't said anything yet. I've hurt her before and I hated myself every time. I'll do everything I can to make sure I don't do it again."

Jeff felt like he had said the right thing, but for some reason, Shirley looked even more worried. "That's… good of you Jeffrey. But that's not what I meant."

Well if she wasn't worried about Annie, then that could only mean… "You think Annie's going to hurt me?"

Shirley's eyes took on a look of infinite sadness. "I don't think that girl could hurt a fly. But sometimes things don't work out and it doesn't have to be anyone's fault. I know you, Jeffrey. And I'm worried about what it will do to you if, for whatever reason, things don't work out between you."

And there it was. Jeff's greatest fear. What would it do to him and Annie if things didn't work? Jeff tried to smile bravely. "It's a gamble, right?" he said meekly.

"I want you to promise me something," she said quietly. "If you never do another thing for me as long as you live, then at least do this. Let her in. Completely. These walls that you've put up to protect yourself are only keeping you from being happy." Tears began working their way down either side of Shirley's face and she reached out and took his hand in hers. "No matter what it is, no matter how ashamed you might feel, let her in. If she loves you then she's going to keep on loving you, flaws and all, but you _have_ to let her in." Shirley's grip on his hand was progressively tightening, and the tears didn't let up. "When it all gets to be too much, if you're overwhelmed, hopeless, whatever… let her in. Let her be your strength. There is _nothing_ the two of you can't do together." Shirley's eyes seemed to bore into him and her last words came out almost as if she was begging. "_Let her in._"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was more intoxicating that a bottle of 25 year old scotch. The feeling of power, of control, complete and total control. He missed it. _God_ had he missed it. Once his mouth started moving, it was almost like an out of body experience – like he was watching his identical twin own the room, systematically taking Simmons apart piece by piece, and yes, even getting a little concerned when Troy had to sit through direct examination. But that feeling, the _power_… He felt like he could do anything. And he knew exactly where the power had come from.

As he listened to Simmons give his closing statement, he already knew he'd won. "_Destroy. Him._" she'd said. And he had. He knew she was watching, could feel her eyes on him. He wanted to laugh like some sort of crazed maniac. To jump up and grab her, to point around the room to what she'd just witnessed and to tell her – "I did it for you. Yes, for Troy, and yes for everyone back home, and yes because Simmons is horrible… but I did it for _you_. Because all those other things weren't enough. Not if you weren't with me. Don't you see? It was you. It has always been you and it will always _be_ you. Don't you _see?_"

Jeff watched as Simmons puttered slowly back to his spot behind the prosecutor's table. _I know our first meeting was hard on you. That it helped turn you into the bitter, vindictive person you are today. This one isn't going any better for you, is it? Believe it or not, I'm actually sorry about that. Not for beating you again, because that you deserve. I'm sorry that you never learned the lesson that I finally did. The first time we met, we both learned the wrong lesson about the evil of man. You came to believe everyone was evil and I just thought that I was. But we were both wrong. There's something better out there, and I've finally figured out what it is. And as much as I want to despise you for being the hateful little troll that you are, I can't. Because you being the way that you are helped me to find my way to her. And for that I will always be grateful to you. So I'm sorry for what you're about to witness. To do this to you again. But it has to be done. I can only hope that this time it will lead you to a different conclusion._

Jeff had a passing awareness of the judge calling for his closing statement, and he stood and faced the jury.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, you have heard two very different accounts of the events surrounding the fire in the harbor on July twelfth. I think it is obvious from the testimony today where the truth lies. But perhaps some of you still have doubts." He stepped back from his chair so that he was next to the railing separating the gallery from the courtroom floor, then he turned and looked down at Annie. She was looking back at him with a warm expression on her face, smiling that smile that made him feel like he was the only other person on Earth and he knew that he had made her proud. "Annie, would you stand please?"

Annie jumped in surprise and her eyes went wide, but she hesitantly rose to her feet nonetheless. _Sorry to spring this on you, babe. But I think that you'll forgive me._ "Thank you." Jeff turned back to the jury. "The woman standing before you is none other than Annie Edison, the alleged temptress of Mr. Simmons' story." He knew this situation was likely making Annie uncomfortable. But he was going to make it up to her. He was finally going to start making things up to her. "If any of you still lend credence to the veracity of Mr. Simmons' claims that my client is infatuated with this woman, then I would ask that you carefully observe my client's reaction… to this." Considering the magnitude of what he was about to do, he probably should have been nervous, but he wasn't. After all those years of 'would they' 'might they' all the decisions had at last been made. There was nothing left but the doing.

In one swift motion, Jeff leaned over the railing and pulled Annie close to him. She didn't even have time to gasp in astonishment before their lips came crashing together. For one instant, Annie's surprise got the better of her. It was the tiniest fraction of a second, but it seemed to draw out for an eternity. But then she responded to him. Oh did she respond to him. Any lingering doubts he may have had about her feelings for him were erased in an instant. This was no movie and even his pessimistic side knew that this wasn't for pity. This was raw, unrestrained passion – the final, desperate culmination of everything the two of them had ever felt for one another. Their mouths fit together as if they had been made for each other, and Jeff almost laughed with surprise at the hunger with which her tongue was exploring his. Her arms encircled him, pulling with a fierceness he wouldn't have thought possible. He felt himself willingly drawn into her, and for a while, the most powerful force in the universe was not the strong nuclear force, it was Annie.

A part of him realized that he had actually taken a risk in doing this. He didn't precisely _know_ what Troy's reaction would be, he had only suspected. But his friend came through with a whoop of joy that even someone as cynical as Simmons would know was genuine. And with that, the last little piece fell into place.

The identical twin that Jeff had been watching earlier pulled back from Annie, turned his head towards the jury, and rested his case. It had to be his twin, because Jeff was still in Annie's thrall. His twin turned back to face Annie – he and Jeff once again melding back into the same person – and he gazed deep into those eyes. Those perfect, bottomless pools of blue. At this moment it would have been impossible for Jeff to describe in words just how much affection he had for the woman whose face was still only inches away from his own.

He felt himself smile slightly, and his friends' voices began floating through his head – _I won't tell Annie that she's how you opened the door in Borchert's lab. But don't you think you should?_ – _You have to tell her._ – _Does… that mean you two are finally…?_ – _You need to be honest with that girl. Put yourself out there._ – _You're better than you think you are, Jeffrey Winger._ – _Let her in._ – They had all supported him. They had all encouraged him. And now the moment was here, when he would finally say the words that had terrified him for the majority of his life. He wasn't afraid. Looking into those eyes, he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to feel afraid again.

"Annie Edison," he said softly, "I love you."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **Thank you to everyone who is reading and for all the lovely comments!

If Jeff could have written his ideal script of the trial, it could not have gone any better than the way actual events had unfolded. You know, except for the part where he told Annie that he loved her, those perfect eyes of hers had rolled back in her head and he had to catch her to keep her from collapsing, and then the paramedics had been called to take her unconscious body out of the courtroom on a stretcher. But other than that, everything had gone perfectly.

The judge had given him a warning about disrupting his courtroom again, but seeing as the trial was basically over and Jeff was fresh out of women he wanted to make out with, there wasn't much for him to worry about on that point. The jury had been dismissed for deliberations, and all that was left now was the waiting. He wanted to go check on Annie, but he wasn't able to leave the courtroom. The paramedics had assured him that she would be fine, so that had to be good enough for now.

Jeff glanced over at Troy to find his friend staring at him with a wide grin on his face.

"What's with you?"

"Jeff and Annie, sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G," Troy singsonged.

"Real mature."

"First comes love, then comes marriage-"

"Would you stop?"

"-Then comes the baby in the baby carriage!"

"Getting a little ahead of yourself aren't you?"

"Come on, Jeff! This is huge!" Troy punched Jeff lightly on the shoulder. "You and Annie? Huge! I mean it's… huge!"

"Wait, I need you to tell me one more time if this is huge or not."

"It is!" Troy leaned forward and laid his hand on Jeff's shoulder. "This is the dude who used to tell us to nut up and die alone! And now he's kissing Annie and saying he loves her in front of not just me, but all these reporters?" Troy chuckled. "Ballsy, man. Real ballsy."

Jeff froze momentarily, then turned to look slowly back across the gallery. It was half full of press members carrying a myriad of notebooks. How the hell had he missed that? Jeff was suddenly thankful for the ban on cameras in a sitting courtroom.

"I gotta say though," Troy went on, "I'm glad you finally came around. You were more of a buzzkill than Britta on love and all that stuff."

"Can we talk about something else please?"

"Um, _no_." Troy gave him a look that clearly indicated he thought Jeff was crazy. "I had no idea where you were going when you started asking Annie to stand up, then I was like _'Woah!'_ You didn't tell me about that part of the plan though, how'd you know how I'd react?" An idea appeared to occur to Troy, and his look suddenly turned suspicious. "Wait, you're not a mind reader are you? Because if you've been reading my mind all these years and not telling me, that is _not_ cool."

Jeff stared at the clock on the courtroom wall and willed it to move faster. "I'm not a mind reader, Troy. I didn't plan on doing that, it just happened. I just got caught up in everything, I felt like I couldn't lose, no matter what I did. And it was Annie that made me feel…" Jeff trailed off, realizing that he was divulging more than he intended to.

Troy nodded slowly, then became animated. "That was so slick how you made a move on Annie and used it to prove Simmons wrong. That was good stuff, you gotta teach me some of that."

Jeff couldn't help but puff out his chest a bit. "Well, Troy, some things are just natural talent. They can't be taught." Jeff smiled at Troy's look of disappointment. "But… I may have some other moves I can teach you." _I don't think I'll be needing them anymore._

Troy brightened and was about to say something else when the bailiff announced that the jury had reached a verdict. Jeff looked at the clock again, stunned at just how short the deliberations had been. That had to be a good sign, didn't it?

The jury was ushered back into the courtroom where the judge asked if they had reached a verdict and the foreman confirmed that they had. The judge instructed Troy to rise, and Jeff stood alongside him. Jeff felt a momentary tension as the judge began reading the charges, but it quickly melted away as each charge was followed by the words "Not Guilty." The judge did, however, issue Troy a $100 fine for practicing performance art without the proper permit.

The judge declared the trial closed and dismissed the court members. No sooner had the court adjourned than Troy turned and threw his arms around Jeff. He had to steady himself to keep from being knocked over, but then returned Troy's hug. "Congratulations, Troy," he wheezed, as Troy continued squeezing the air out of Jeff's lungs.

When he pulled back, Troy's eyes were already glassy and his voice waivered as he said, "I told myself I wasn't gonna cry…" Troy bit his fist and squeezed his eyes shut. "Ahhhhhh…"

Jeff huffed out a laugh and gave him a lopsided smile. "In this case, I don't think anyone would think any less of you for it." Part of Jeff actually felt like doing the same.

Troy took a moment before opening his eyes, still straddling the line between regaining control and losing it entirely. "Um," he started uncertainly, "this might be a bad time but," Troy dropped his voice to a whisper, "can I borrow a hundred bucks?"

Jeff burst out laughing at the sheer predictability of the request. "Sure, but," he switched to a tone of mock seriousness, "you should know that I charge a very high interest rate. So I'd recommend getting back to Greendale as fast as you can."

Jeff didn't think his remark was overly sentimental, but it was apparently enough to tip Troy over the edge into a full on bout of sobbing. A few curious glances were cast their way, and Jeff decided it was about time to be leaving. He threw his arm around Troy and turned to escort him out of the courtroom – then stopped short when he found his path blocked by Simmons.

"I don't know when and I don't know how," he said menacingly, "but I will get you for this."

Jeff closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. He couldn't even muster up any anger, all he felt was sorry for him. "Whatever dude, let it go."

Jeff navigated his way around Simmons and walked towards the exit, Troy following closely behind, still wiping his eyes. Reporters hollered out questions for Troy, but Jeff continued pushing forward, repeating the refrain "No comment."

They exited through the large double doors and stepped into the main concourse where they were greeted by another throng of reporters. This time, they had no protections against the use of cameras, and Jeff found himself holding up his hand to ward of the bright flashes of light. At last they made it to the edge of the mass of reporters and Jeff began striding eagerly towards the building exit. He had almost reached it when a flash of dark brown caught the corner of his eye and a petite but unexpectedly powerful frame slammed into him. Jeff found himself spun around and pressed up against the glass of the front of the courthouse. He felt the air once again being squeezed out of his lungs as frantic kisses were being placed around his face seemingly at random. Through the flurry of kisses, words began to emerge one at a time.

"I…"

"Knew…"

"You…"

"Would…"

"Do…"

"It!"

After the last word made its way out, the frantic kisses stopped and Jeff was pulled into one long, deep kiss. He could hear the rapid fire snapping of shutters from the reporters' cameras and the flashes put on an impressive little light show. Well, if it was theatre they wanted… Jeff hooked his arms around Annie's waist and lifted her into the air, spinning her around several times before gently returning her to the earth. Only then did they finally break the kiss and gaze lovingly into each other's eyes. Annie's look turned coy and the corners of her mouth twitched upwards slightly.

"Jeff Winger," she said demurely, "I love you."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The elevator door opened, and Annie stepped out into the main lobby of the hotel, then began making her way towards the restaurant. She'd just finished sending an email to everyone back home with a detailed recap of the trial, although she'd left out the bit about the 'I love yous' and her own fainting. Some things weren't meant to be communicated via email.

The restaurant, like the rest of the hotel, was poshly appointed, with tables made out of rich mahogany and walnut, silk furnishings, and modern light fixtures hanging at regular intervals. As she approached the spot Jeff and Troy had staked out at the bar, the empty glasses scattered around them told her that they hadn't waited for her to begin the celebration.

"Annie!" Troy exclaimed as she came walking up, "We got you a drink. Here, you have to catch up!" Troy shoved a screwdriver into Annie's hand, some of the drink sloshing over the side and coating her hand in orange juice. Annie took a quick sip, then grabbed a napkin to clean off the glass and her hand. She looked over at Jeff to find him leaned against the bar, a drink in hand, watching her with a soft smile on his face. Annie tossed the used napkin on the bar, then slid herself into the crook between his arm and chest, and laid her head back against his shoulder. She allowed herself a small smile as she felt his lips press gently against the side of her head. Jeff maneuvered his arm to wrap it tighter around her, and Annie felt herself fill with a contentedness she didn't think she'd ever known. Part of her was still afraid she was going to suddenly wake up and find it was all just a dream.

"So, Troy," Annie said brightly, "when are you and LeVar setting off again?"

Troy looked pensive for a moment. "Probably tomorrow. But maybe the day after. I want to get going again soon, though. This trip has been a lot of fun, but also… it hasn't? I guess I'm getting kinda homesick." Troy glanced around the bar as if searching for something. "LeVar should getting here soon, I don't know where he is."

"Well congratulations again you guys! You were both so amazing today!" Troy grinned sheepishly and gave an 'aww shucks' shrug and Annie felt Jeff give her a little squeeze. "There's one thing I want to know, though. Troy, where did you learn all that stuff about the ANZAC and fire-stick farming?"

Jeff let out a chuckle, a low rumble that vibrated through Annie, and she had to fight to keep her eyes from drifting closed. _He loves me!_ "Well," Jeff said with a sly tone, "I may have given Troy a reading assignment for over the weekend."

"Reading assignment?"

"I found a few history books aimed at kids aged seven to ten. They had pictures and everything." Jeff laughed lightly again.

"_You_ told me they were comic books," Troy said in an accusatory tone, "that's wrong, man."

"I did what I had to do," Jeff said coolly. Annie could tell he was feeling exceptionally pleased with himself. She had to hand it to him though, it was an effective ploy. "I stand by my actions."

An effective ploy it may have been, but Annie couldn't let his head get too big. "Hmm, I'm not sure I can love a man who lies so casually to his closest friends."

She felt him tense for a moment, and when he spoke, she could hear the scowl in his voice. "Thanks for ruining my moment, Jiminy Cricket. How about this, I promise not to lie about the really important stuff. But I get to decide what that is."

Annie made a show of pretending to think it over. "Ok," she said indifferently, "I still love you. But we'll revisit that last point later."

Jeff huffed out a laugh before saying with mock sarcasm, "Has it occurred to you that maybe _I'm_ not sure I can love someone who always inflicts her moral code on me and then uses her Jedi mind powers to make me think it's a good idea?"

"I already do that," Annie shrugged. "And you love me anyway."

Jeff wrapped both his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I suppose that's true," he murmured. _He loves me!_

"Um," Troy said uncomfortably, drawing Annie's attention back to the fact that he was still there, "I'm… gonna go to the bathroom. Then maybe I'll try calling LeVar…" Troy scurried off to find the bathroom, leaving Annie alone with Jeff. His arms were still wrapped around her, and she closed her eyes and sunk into him. Right now she wanted nothing more than to wrap herself in Jeff.

They stood together, motionless, for what seemed like ages, or perhaps it was only seconds – Annie couldn't tell. Finally, Jeff spoke, his voice reverberating through her and making her mind go fuzzy. "Thank you for today," he said gently, "and for yesterday. Thank you for never losing sight of what's truly important, and thank you for never letting me lose sight either. Thank you… for being you."

Annie had only had the one sip of her drink, but already she felt drunk. "Thank you for today," she heard herself say, "and even for yesterday. Thank you for keeping me grounded and always challenging me. Thank you for listening to me and making me feel like my opinion is valuable to you. Thank you for talking to Troy this morning and always being willing to step up and take on the really difficult tasks… Thank you for being you."

Jeff buried his face in the corner of her neck and her shoulder, and held her tight. "You like it when I challenge you?" he asked, his voice tinged with genuine curiosity.

Annie's eyes popped open and she laughed in surprise. "_That_ was your takeaway from everything I just said?"

"Well, no," Jeff said contritely, "it just surprised me, that's all."

Annie shrugged. "If you can't defend your beliefs, then maybe you should reevaluate them. And you challenge me on some of them as much as anyone ever has. We don't have to agree on everything, Jeff, as long as we respect each other."

"Have I mentioned how much I love you yet?"

Annie broke into a wide smile. "You've mentioned it, but you haven't quantified it. But don't ever let that stop you from mentioning it again." Annie closed her eyes again and leaned her head lightly against his.

"Math was never my best subject. I guess I'll have to make up for it by telling you all the time."

"Mmm, I guess you will." Annie turned in his arms so that she was face to face with him and laid a finger playfully on his chin. "You were wrong though, you know that?"

Jeff furrowed his brow in confusion. "About what?"

"The trial."

Jeff eyed her carefully, sensing some sort of trap. "How so?" he asked warily.

Annie grinned at him. "It _was_ possible to win just by making out in front of the jury."

Jeff barked out a laugh and nodded. "Yeah, I guess it was. Ok, new rule. Whenever we're up against Simmons, no matter what it is, all strategies begin and end with us making out."

"I like that rule," Annie giggled, "but it's a dangerous one. Next thing you know, we'll be inviting him to committee meetings, game nights, grocery shopping… just so we have an excuse to make out."

Jeff smirked at her. "You think I need an excuse to make out with you?" As if to prove his point, he pulled her in for a long, slow kiss. Annie's eyes drifted closed and her mind went fuzzy again as she allowed herself to simply exist as an extension of Jeff.

A while later, she found herself pressed against him, her head laid softly on his shoulder. "Who are you?" she asked wonderingly. "And where has this Jeff been all my life?" Annie's face was pointed away from his, so she missed the flash of regret that passed over him. "When did Mr. Pragmatic turn into Mr. Romantic?"

"I don't know," Jeff chuckled, "maybe I've always been Mr. Romantic and everything else was just a misdirect."

"For five years? That's quite a misdirect."

"Hey, I know how to commit to a bit. What about you though?" he asked teasingly, "telling me to lie and destroy Simmons? That was awfully pragmatic of you."

Annie raised her head to look him in the eyes. "I couldn't let Simmons get away with what he was trying to do." Annie's eyes flashed with anger at the memory. "Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. But back on you..." her look softened as she returned his teasing, "Troy told me you weren't going to go through with it. That you weren't going to lie. That was awfully idealistic of _you_."

"What can I say?" Jeff shrugged, a look of unlimited warmth filling his eyes, "You make me want to be a better man."

Annie gasped softly, then threw her arms around Jeff and clung to him as tightly as she could. _He loves me!_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"No, I can do it!" Jeff protested, a little too loudly.

Annie lounged in her bar chair, legs crossed, sipping casually at her drink as she watched Jeff and Troy fuss over a pile of napkins. The two of them had had the earliest start on the drinking, and were both pretty intoxicated by this point. Despite Troy's insistence, Annie had made no effort to catch up. However, being the smallest member of the group and not having a particularly high tolerance, she was feeling fairly loopy herself.

LeVar had joined them at last, and he sat to Annie's left, nursing his own drink. After observing Jeff and Troy for a while, he leaned over and said in a low voice, "Do you know what they're doing?"

Annie shook her head slowly. "No idea."

"Try folding it the other way," Troy was saying. "No, the other corner."

"Shtop trying to help me," Jeff slurred, "I know how to do it." Jeff continued fiddling with the napkin he was folding, bending pieces this way and that. Finally, his frustration got the better of him and the napkin ended in a crumpled heap on the bar before Jeff started over with a new one. Troy, having been denied a role in helping Jeff, had started working on his own.

Annie gave up trying to decipher what they were doing and instead began chatting with LeVar about his work on Reading Rainbow. After about fifteen minutes, Annie heard Jeff growl in frustration, then storm off in search of a new drink. She noticed several more balled up napkins on the bar along with one that looked like some sort of deformed airplane or bird. Troy picked up the misshapen object, shuffled over to Annie and handed it to her. In his other hand, he held several of his own creations, which looked like basic paper airplanes.

Annie crinkled her forehead. "What is this?"

Troy blinked lazily and smiled through his drunkenness. "It's for you. Jeff wanted you to have it."

"Ok…" she said slowly, "but what is it?"

"Oh!" Troy seemed surprised that the answer wasn't obvious. "It's a swan." Annie inspected the napkin. If she turned it a certain way and squinted, it _almost_ resembled a swan… "Jeff's a little drunk, or I'm sure it'd be better."

The first thought that flashed through Annie's head was that Jeff was more than a _little_ drunk, but then she looked up at Troy in confusion. "That's what you guys were spending so much time on? Why?"

"He's such a dork," Troy snickered. "He said he wanted to make a swan for his beautiful swan."

"Aww!" Annie suddenly found herself cupping the distorted napkin-swan reverently.

"Troy!" Jeff hissed as he came walking up with a tray full of shots. "I told you that in confidence!" Jeff maneuvered around to the other side of the bar table they'd pulled up next to the bar itself and set down the tray of drinks. "Annie, throw that away, it's not any good."

Annie gave him an affectionate smile and delicately placed the avian napkin into her purse.

Jeff blinked at her. "What are you doing? I said throw it away, it's terrible. Why would you want to keep that?"

_Because __**you**__ wanted it to be a swan._

Jeff's attention was quickly diverted back to the drinks he'd brought, so he never noticed her lack of reply. He began passing out shot glasses to each of them, then raised his own.

"A toast!" he announced, "To Troy's freedom, and a swift and safe conclusion to his journey!"

"And to the best lawyer and friends a guy could ask for!" Troy chimed in.

"Here, here!" Annie called out happily as they collectively clinked their glasses and then downed their drinks in one gulp. Annie was pleasantly surprised to find that Jeff hadn't saddled her with a straight shot of something powerful like scotch, but instead had gotten her something that tasted of cherries and watermelon. Despite the more palatable fruit flavoring, she still shivered at the inevitable aftertaste of the alcohol.

Annie hopped off her chair and went over to give Troy a congratulatory hug and a quick peck on the cheek. As they began chatting excitedly over the rest of his upcoming journey, part of Annie's mind began reflecting on the events of the day. It felt strange to recognize so clearly that this day had been life-altering. Certainly for Troy, but also for her and Jeff. Most of the major events in her life had only seemed that way in retrospect, or had been built up slowly over time. She knew that things between her and Jeff fell into the latter category, but never in a million years had she expected such a definitive and dramatic tipping point. Never had she expected for so many of her fantasies to suddenly come true. As she watched Jeff carrying on an animated conversation with LeVar, she found it difficult to think about anything besides dragging him upstairs and making a few more of her fantasies come true.

Annie forced herself to shake it off and refocus on her conversation with Troy. There would be plenty of time for all that other stuff later. Although… she snuck another peek at Jeff and caught him staring at her with a hungry look in his eyes… maybe she'd just see where the night took them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The first thing Jeff noticed as consciousness slowly returned to him was that the he seemed to be at the epicenter of a swirling vortex. The next was the pain. He'd lost count of how many drinks he'd had, but he knew it had been a lot – and his head was now repaying him for his overindulgence. He slowly ran through an internal body diagnostic and decided that he hadn't been this hung over since the day after he'd had his license suspended.

He was laying on his right side, and though it took him several tries, he was eventually able to issue the command to his left arm to begin moving his hand towards his head so that he could try to rub away some of the throbbing pain. His arm didn't make it very far, however, before it ran into something blocking its path, and it was then that he made his third discovery. There was a warm body pressed up against him, moving rhythmically with the slow, even breathing that comes with deep sleep. Jeff felt panic rising within him, had he and Annie…? Jeff wracked his brain trying to remember the previous night's events. There had been drinking… talking… more drinking… some dancing… _more_ drinking… and… Jeff couldn't place it exactly, but there had definitely been some frenzied and sloppy kissing, and hands that had been exploring areas that they'd never… but he couldn't remember if they had…

Suddenly it occurred to Jeff that he was still fully clothed. Well, mostly. He wasn't wearing his suit jacket and one shoe was missing, but everything else was there. Jeff breathed a slow sigh of relief. It's not that he didn't _want_ to sleep with Annie, that activity was actually at or near the top of his to do list, he just wanted to be able to _remember_ their first time together.

Jeff felt the momentary panic drain out of him, and along with it some of the pain in his head. Being this close to Annie seemed to have magical healing powers. He laid his arm gently around her and snuggled closer, earning a satisfied sigh in response. Despite the nausea and dull throbbing in his head, he felt substantially better than he had the morning before. He'd been apprehensive about the trial, but his argument with Annie had been weighing on him more. What a difference a day made. He'd felt so distant from her, and now they had never been closer. No hangover in the world could ruin that.

Jeff laid there contentedly despite his hangover, listening to the sound of her breathing and feeling the delicate rise and fall of her chest. He already loved the feeling of waking up next to her. He loved the feel of her against him, loved the warmth of her touch, loved the smell of her perfume – his eyes drifted open slowly – loved her curly black hair… wait…

Jeff's eyes snapped the rest of the way open. He lurched backwards in surprise, colliding with something solid. The solid object gave way and disappeared, followed shortly by a clattering thud and a disgruntled groan. Jeff rolled over quickly and peered over the edge of the bed to find a disheveled Annie trying awkwardly to push herself up off the floor. He tried to jump out of the bed to help her up, forgetting about the swirling vortex he was still stuck in. So instead of nimbly hopping out of bed, his inner ear betrayed him and he pitched forward, toppling on top of Annie and knocking her down to the floor again.

"Owwww…" Annie's muffled moan seemed to emerge from the carpet. Jeff rolled off of her as quickly as he could, then righted himself to a sitting position and helped her over to a quasi-sitting position, propped up on her elbows. Unlike Jeff, Annie had had the presence of mind to change into her pajamas before passing out. She rubbed at her eyes with one hand, then looked at Jeff in bewilderment. "What… what just happened?!"

"Nothing," Jeff said quickly, "you fell out of bed and I lost my balance trying to help you and landed on you. I certainly wasn't spooning Troy, if that's what you're asking."

Annie blinked in confusion, looked down in thought for a moment, then back at Jeff. "Huh?"

"I said it was nothing!" Jeff put his arm around her back and helped her to a more upright position. "Sorry about landing on you… I think I might still be a little drunk."

"Yeah, that…" Annie grunted in discomfort as she rubbed at her temples, "wouldn't surprise me. Ugh. _This_ is why I don't drink very often."

The two of them unsteadily picked themselves up off the floor and managed to reach standing positions. Jeff barely had time to pull his other shoe off before Troy rolled over and let out a satisfied hum. His eyes drifted open and he smiled up at his friends. "Hey! Morning guys!" Troy stretched lazily and sat up. "Man, I was having the best dream! I can't really remember what it was about though."

"Probably sailing," Jeff blurted. "Or maybe Inspector Spacetime."

"No, that's not it…" Troy frowned in concentration. "I think I was cuddling with a big teddy bear or something. Jeff, I think you were there-"

"WHO WANTS SOME BREAKFAST?" Jeff roared.

Annie and Troy jumped in surprise, but shrugged in agreement. Troy climbed out of bed and followed Jeff and Annie out into the main area of the suite where they found LeVar sitting on the couch watching TV. He waved in greeting and Troy trotted over and sat next to him while Jeff and Annie went into the kitchen to get the room service menu. Jeff pulled the menu out and closed the drawer it had been in. He looked up to find Annie leaned against the counter with a shy smile on her face.

"Hey, you," she said sweetly.

"Hey, yourself."

"You had a lot to drink last night, how are you feeling?"

"The food poisoning was worse. But not much."

"Aww, poor baby." Annie stepped closer to him and gently stroked the hair on the side of his head. "And how much do you remember from yesterday?"

Jeff smirked at her. "I remember wiping the floor with Simmons and then drinking in celebration. There was some other stuff in there, but it's a bit fuzzy."

"Well allow me to jog your memory then." Annie went on her tiptoes and pulled him in for a kiss. It was slow at first, but it didn't take long for it to become heated. They explored different angles until they seemed to mutually agree on their favorite position. Jeff's hands slid down Annie's back until he grabbed two handfuls of her ass, then lifted her up onto the counter. Annie wrapped her arms and legs all the way around him and pulled him in as close as she could. Muffled gasps began escaping from Annie as a low groan began in the back of Jeff's throat. Jeff's hands were playing with the hem of Annie's pajamas before finally sneaking through the gap between the top and bottom piece, one hand making its way up her back while the other slid lower. He'd been so focused on what his hands were doing that he didn't notice at first that only one of Annie's arms was still wrapped around him. However, when Annie's other hand loosened his belt and began slithering down the inside of his pants, he became very, very aware of it. Jeff's mind managed to get over its distaste for math and began calculating the probability of whether they could just have sex right there on the counter and not get caught. He knew the odds were absurdly low, but as Annie's hand crept closer and closer, he began to care less and less about the odds. He was about to say fuck it and just start ripping off her pajamas when Troy called out from the living room.

"Hey guys, where's the menu? I'm hungry!"

There may as well have been a record scratch as Jeff and Annie brought their activities to a crashing halt. They paused for a moment, Jeff's lip caught between Annie's teeth, before Annie let out a frustrated whimper. Clearly neither of them wanted to stop, but they knew it was a matter of moments before Troy would come looking for them. Jeff reluctantly removed his hands from under Annie's pajamas then adjusted his pants and tightened his belt, while Annie hopped off the counter, straightened her PJs and then trotted towards the living room with the menu. Jeff watched her go longingly, then abruptly realized that despite his continued nausea, his headache was completely gone. Score one for the power of endorphins. The tradeoff was that his headache had now been replaced with a rather uncomfortable hard on.

Jeff adjusted his pants one more time before strolling out into the living room. Annie was standing behind the couch with her arms crossed while Troy and LeVar perused the room service menu. Jeff came up behind her and placed his arm around her, then smiled as she laid her head on his shoulder. He took a look at the TV and noticed for the first time what LeVar had been watching.

"He's watching Star Trek reruns," Jeff whispered. "That's a little weird, right?"

"Totally," she whispered back.

"It's not weird," LeVar said casually as Jeff and Annie froze like statues, "this show recently saved my life and it's made me nostalgic, that's all."

"Oh, uh," Jeff mumbled, "I guess that makes sense…"

"I'm… going to take a shower. Sorry!" Annie squeaked, then darted off for her room, leaving Jeff standing awkwardly by himself. _Traitor._

Jeff waited uncomfortably while Troy and LeVar picked out what they wanted for breakfast, shooting an accusing glare at Annie as she scurried from her room into the bathroom clutching a wad of clothes. Once he knew what everyone wanted he placed the order with the concierge, then retreated to his room. He picked up his suit jacket where it had been tossed on the floor and smoothed it out, dismayed to see that more than one drink had been spilled on it. He made a mental note to ask the concierge if they offered dry cleaning services, then stripped out of the rest of his clothes and changed into a pair of jeans and a loose fitting shirt. He returned to the kitchen where he began mixing together a series of fruits, vegetables and yogurt to blend into a smoothie he'd long used as a hangover helper. Of course, what he really _wanted_ to do was to go join Annie in the shower, but there was no way to sneak past the guys on the couch.

He returned to the living room and took a spot on one of the love seats where he began sipping his smoothie. Much to Jeff's chagrin, Troy seemed to be immune to the effects of a hangover. Jeff glanced at the TV and began paying passing attention to the episode of Star Trek.

Troy, however, was practically bouncing with excitement. "I can't believe I'm watching Star Trek with LeVar Burton!"

An idea popped into Jeff's head, and he turned to Troy. "Hey Troy, I almost forgot. Abed had a bunch of questions that I'm supposed to ask you about your trip." Troy grinned and indicated for Jeff to go ahead. Jeff pulled a folded piece of paper out of his wallet and opened up his sheet of notes. "He, uh, he said you'd know what the first question was."

Troy nodded as if that was what he had been expecting. "We made that a code so we'd know everything else wasn't a fake from someone trying to pretend to be one of us. Tell him I'm fine. F-Y-N-E."

Jeff rolled his eyes, then grabbed a pen off the coffee table and began making notes on the paper. "Ok, next: would you say the trip has been more like the one the fourth inspector took to the sixth planet of the eighth system of the second quadrant, or when the seventh inspector and Reggie disguised themselves as Blorgons to infiltrate the galactic numicron conference on planet Aphixia?

Troy considered for a moment before answering. "Well, there's been a bit of both, but more of the first one. But there's also been some of the one where the tenth inspector and Reggie get caught in the time maze and have to fight past and future versions of themselves. Tell him not to worry though, the Vultriks arrived and set up the Omega Matrix before I ran out of space."

Jeff blinked at Troy, then shook his head and tried to make some sort of sensible notes, which became progressively more difficult as he worked through the rest of Abed's questions. After the food arrived and everyone had eaten and taken turns in the shower, the foursome headed out to run some errands necessary for getting the ocean voyage back underway. Jeff and LeVar headed to the maritime impound to get the _Childish Tycoon_ released, while Annie and Troy went shopping for supplies.

After getting the yacht out of impound, Jeff and LeVar used the motor to get it over to the pier where they had agreed to meet up. They purchased enough gas to fill up the tanks, but this time eschewed bringing any extra containers. An inspection of the ship revealed that it was still in good shape, despite the fire. It had been put out in time to prevent much more damage than some scorch marks and bubbling of the paint. Just to be on the safe side, they replaced a few of the rigging lines in the stern and slapped some sealant on the areas that were scorched the worst.

It was late afternoon when they'd completed their tasks and Annie and Troy finally showed up with crates full of food, beverages, and other necessary supplies. By the time they'd loaded the supplies and gotten everything stowed in its proper place, the sun was dropping low in the western sky.

Jeff came up on deck to find Annie staring thoughtfully at the horizon. He moved over next to her and gazed out at the water. "Quite an array of stuff you guys got."

Annie snorted in annoyance. "Yeah, well, if it was up to Troy, they'd be fully stocked with Doritos, Bagel Bites, Ho Hos and Laffy Taffy. You wouldn't believe how hard it was to convince him that just because taffy is orange flavored doesn't mean it has any Vitamin C in it. It's a wonder he doesn't have scurvy."

Jeff chuckled and patted her gently on the arm. "Sorry you got stuck with that."

"Hmm," Annie glanced over at him with a sly look on her face, "I'm sure I can think of a way for you to make it up to me."

Jeff grinned at her as Troy came climbing up the steps with LeVar following close behind. "Hey guys, it looks like we're all set. I guess it's time for us to get on our way."

Jeff and Annie's smiles faded as they realized it was time to say goodbye. Jeff shook LeVar's hand and wished him well, while Annie clasped Troy in a tight hug.

"Bye, Annie," Jeff heard Troy say. "Thanks for coming down here and for all your help. I promise I'll be more careful the rest of the way."

Annie was already crying by the time she pulled out of the hug and placed a kiss on Troy's cheek. "You better be," she said through her tears. "Be safe and get home soon, ok? We miss you." Troy nodded and looked to be fighting tears of his own as he turned to Jeff.

Troy stuck out his hand. "Thanks for saving my ass."

Jeff brushed Troy's hand aside and wrapped him in a crushing hug. "Make sure you do what the lady says," Jeff's voice wavered slightly, "you know Annie always knows best." Jeff's eyes were burning as he pulled back. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small white box. "Here. Abed said to give this to you when you got back on your way."

Troy's eyes lit up as he eagerly pulled the box open. He tilted the bottom end up and three objects fell out into his other hand. The first looked like a compass, the second some kind of action figure and the third was a note. Troy pulled the note open and read aloud:

"Troy – If you're reading this it means Jeff has gotten you out of trouble and you're about to leave on the rest of your journey. In this box you will find an action figure I had made. It is one of a pair. I had them use our picture from the last Inspecticon. I have yours and you have mine. If you're ever in trouble again or feeling lonely, look at this figurine and know that I will be doing the same. Also in the box is a compass that does not point north, but to Greendale instead. Come home soon, my friend. An inspector is never whole without his constable."

Troy folded the note up and rubbed at his eyes. "I just…" his voice cracked, "a bug flew in my eye…"

Annie gave LeVar a hug before she and Jeff reluctantly climbed back onto the pier. They cast off the moorings and LeVar went and fired up the engine to navigate away from the pier. Jeff stood with one arm wrapped around Annie and they both waved as the _Childish Tycoon_ sank slowly into the distance. Once the ship was out near the center of the harbor, they saw the sails rise and catch the wind. A small figure appeared at the stern of the ship and waved enthusiastically until the distance became too great. They watched for several more minutes until the ship was barely a speck on the darkening horizon. Finally, Annie turned and began sobbing into Jeff's chest. He wrapped his arms gently around her and held her until the crying stopped.

Jeff looked down at her, compassion filling his eyes. "You ok?"

Annie looked back at him through red, puffy eyes and sniffled as she nodded quickly.

"Shall we, then?"

Another sniffle and nod was Jeff's answer. He let go of her and extended his arm.

"Milady?"

Annie huffed out a laugh that was perilously close to another sob and took his arm.

"Milord."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N **Finally back after an extended break. There are two reasons for the delay. First, I spent most of June working on a new J/A video which (shameless plug) can be viewed here: /watch?v=uaSHt9ANIps (Links get removed, so you'd need to just put that after the normal URL for YouTube)

Second, I've never written smut before and I found it exceptionally difficult. With that in mind, if smut offends you, you're probably better off skipping this chapter. Btw, I'm super embarrassed to have written this :-/

Jeff straightened his suit jacket and checked his hair in the mirror for the fifteenth time. He still couldn't believe he had been roped into this. He and Annie had been lying on the couch together watching a movie when suddenly he'd found her on top of him, her hair all around him, her tongue in his mouth and her hips grinding ever so slowly against his… and then she'd pulled back slightly and gazed deep into his eyes, and in that moment he thought he would have done absolutely anything to make her happy. So when she'd asked a sweet and innocent little question, he'd agreed without even thinking about it. He'd figured out very early on that Annie Edison had a dangerous effect on him, but opera? An involuntary shudder coursed through him. He was going to have to take a serious look at a few things. He loved Annie, but he wasn't about to turn into some lovesick puppy that would follow her around and do whatever she wanted all the time. He was Jeff Winger, dammit, and he was in charge of his own life. He was in the middle of contemplating walking out into the living room and telling Annie that the opera was a no-go when he heard her lilting laugh resonate through the door. It was light and happy, and the sound made a tiny thrill run down his spine.

Shit.

Jeff paused and took a deep breath. He'd already made the commitment, it wouldn't be right to back out now. He'd put Annie through a ton of crap for five years, he could afford to give her three hours at the stupid opera. But he was definitely going to figure out some sort of lid to put on stuff like this. He wanted to make Annie happy, and if that meant occasionally going to events he found boring, then so be it. He knew she'd do the same for him. They'd just have to figure out a balance that worked for them, and he found himself actually excited to figure out what that balance would be.

Jeff checked himself one last time in the mirror and headed out into the living room area. Annie was perched on the edge of the couch watching TV, arms folded in her lap and her back ramrod straight. She looked up at him as he approached and smiled softly. "Well it's about time," she said teasingly. "And here I thought women were supposed to be the slow ones."

"The Sistine Chapel wasn't painted in twenty minutes. This," Jeff gestured at his face and then down the length of his body, "takes time. You wouldn't rush Da Vinci would you?"

Annie gave him an appraising look. "That was Michelangelo. But point taken. I almost want to skip the opera…"

Jeff allowed himself a moment of hope, but then she stood and smoothed out her dress. As she bent to gather her purse, Jeff ran an admiring eye over her outfit. Annie wore a low cut, form-fitting black dress that went down to her mid-thigh. Straps ran over either shoulder and crossed at her shoulder blades, leaving most of her back bare. Open toed stiletto heels, small black earrings, bright red lipstick and a sparkly black purse completed the ensemble. It was more than enough to make Jeff _really_ wish they were skipping the opera.

"Damn, Annie," he breathed. "You look amazing."

Annie did a little twirl and finished with her chin lowered towards her shoulder and a coy look on her face, her long dark hair cascading down over her shoulders in wavy curls. "What this?" she asked sweetly, "It's no Sistine Chapel, but I make do." Jeff tried desperately to come up with something that would look better than the Sistine Chapel, but his mind wasn't working particularly well at the moment so he ended up just staring at her dumbly.

Annie grabbed the remote and flipped off the TV before they set off. Jeff closed the door behind them as they entered the hallway, then started towards the elevator. As Jeff fell in beside her, he had a fleeting memory of the laugh he'd heard from the bathroom. "What were you watching?"

"Hmm?" Annie glanced up at him quickly. "Oh, _The Soup_."

Jeff did a quick double take. "Ugh, why? That guy is _way_ too sarcastic."

Annie gave him a doubtful look. "Wait, _you're_ calling someone too sarcastic? You?"

"Fair enough," Jeff chuckled, "but even I have my limits."

Annie shrugged lightly as they stepped onto the elevator. "Well, I think it's funny. And the host is such a hottie."

Now it was Jeff's turn to give her a doubtful look. "Oh come on."

"Not as hot as _you_ Jeff," she said as she leaned into him playfully.

"Thank you," he said with a satisfied nod.

The elevator door opened and Annie took Jeff's arm as they exited into the lobby. They made their way towards the exit and passed what looked to be a rugby team checking in at the main desk. The group was filled with athletic looking men with broad shoulders and square jaws, and Jeff noticed several of them nudging each other and gesturing towards Annie. Just as they reached the automatic doors at the front of the hotel, several whistles rang out behind them. _Look all you want, boys. She's mine now._

Jeff detected a slight flush in Annie's cheeks as he opened the back door of the black town car that was waiting for them. He slid into the back seat next to her and leaned over to give her a kiss.

Annie's eyes stayed closed for a moment after he'd pulled back from her, a soft smile playing over her lips. "What was that for?" she asked dreamily as her eyes drifted open.

"Just reminding you that you're not single anymore." Jeff gave her a roguish grin. "I'm not used to going out with someone that looks better than me, you know." Their fingers slid together as Annie's hand found his, and remained that way until they reached the opera house.

The Sydney Opera House was an impressive structure from any distance, but especially up close. Jeff and Annie disembarked from their car and slowly ascended the steps towards the entrance, marveling at the grand construction. They entered the Joan Sutherland Theatre where an usher led them to their viewing box. Jeff had learned from Annie that the hotel had a box on permanent reservation for guests of high stature. Annie had apparently had a number of conversations with the concierge that Jeff had not been privy to, and had made arrangements to see a show – by herself if necessary.

Jeff glanced around at the theatre after they settled into their seats. It was a fantastic facility, but he was already feeling trepidation over the approaching show. Annie must have sensed his discomfort because her hand once again found his. Jeff looked over at her and smiled.

"Thank you for coming with me," she said as she gave his hand a squeeze. "I know opera isn't your favorite thing. But you might like it more than you think. And," she leaned in close and whispered suggestively into Jeff's ear, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up, "it's going to pay off later. Believe me." She gave him a mischievous wink as she leaned back.

Jeff felt a flash of heat move up his neck and cleared his throat as he tried to loosen his collar. How the hell was he supposed to make it through the show now?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The trip back from the opera only lasted a few minutes, but it felt like the longest car ride of Jeff's life. The show, _The Marriage of Figaro_, hadn't been as bad as he'd feared. The music was actually really good, and the actors' voices were certainly impressive. Though Jeff would probably have enjoyed it more if he understood Italian. Annie didn't speak Italian either, but she knew the plot, and would periodically lean over to whisper explanations to Jeff. Which had been fine until she'd started adding a little something extra to her expository remarks.

"The Count is demanding 'favours' from Susanna. Much like I'm going to do to you."

"The Countess is telling the count that it's Susanna hiding in the wardrobe, but actually Cherubino is the one inside. In about two hours, you'll be Cherubino and I'll be the wardrobe."

And near the end when nothing in particular required explanation, she'd simply whispered "Are you ready?"

Jeff had never been so artfully teased. As if five years of wanting her hadn't been enough, he then had to sit next to her for hours while she wore _that_ outfit and whispered sweet little promises into his ear, and yet he couldn't touch her because there were so many people around. All told it was just about enough to drive him insane. Riding back in the car, Annie had leaned against the far door, again denying him the physical contact he was so desperately craving. When they'd finally reached their floor, she had taken his hand lightly and led him down the hallway. By this point, Jeff was such a pent up ball of frenzied, frustrated desire, it was a something of a miracle that he didn't just pick her up in his arms and sprint towards their room.

But at long last, they stood at their door. Annie delicately placed the key card in the slot. The door swung open and they stepped inside.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The trip back from the opera only lasted a few minutes, but it felt like the longest car ride of Annie's life. The show had been amazing, better than she'd ever imagined, and yet she realized she'd made a tactical error. Because her date for the evening made it exceptionally difficult for her to concentrate on the events transpiring on stage.

As if five years of wanting him hadn't been enough, she then had to sit next to him for hours while he wore _that_ outfit, and yet she couldn't touch him because there were so many people around. It was just about enough to drive her insane. Her only outlet had been to periodically lean over and whisper to him about all the things she was going to do to him and all the things she wanted him to do to her. She wasn't sure where this burst of sexual confidence had come from, but something about finally _knowing_, beyond any doubt, what they felt for each other had empowered her to say things that normally would've had her stuttering and blushing full crimson.

It was just a sweet little irony that all those things she was saying had _Jeff_ stuttering and flushing full crimson. But after she'd seen the effect it was having on him, there was certainly no way she was going to stop. Once they were in the car, she forced herself to sit as far from him as possible. In part to continue the tease, but also because she didn't entirely trust her ability to restrain herself if she got too close to him. She could feel the desire radiating off him as she led him down the hall towards their room, and it was all she could do to keep her hand steady as she slipped the key card in its slot in the door. But at long last, the door swung open and they stepped inside.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The door hadn't even made it all the way closed before Jeff and Annie attacked each other. The moment Jeff's hand had released the door, Annie pounced on him. Jeff reeled for an instant before catching his balance and looping one arm around her waist and the other under her thigh and lifting her up so that she was eye level with him. Annie wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him urgently, their tongues slithering together wetly.

The door clicked closed behind them and Jeff carried Annie towards one of the couches while she ripped off his tie and began hurriedly undoing the buttons on his shirt. Her hands were trembling, so she had only gotten half the buttons undone by the time they reached the couch. Jeff lowered her down onto it, ending with her in a sitting position and Jeff kneeling on the floor between her legs. Annie continued worrying at his shirt buttons, but had only managed to get one more undone while Jeff had shed his suit jacket.

"Do you want some-" he started.

"No!" she yelped, a little more frantically than she intended. "I can do it." Her head was swimming though and her fingers felt like they were made out of rubber and the traitorous buttons kept eluding her grasp. Jeff's patience for not touching her had long since expired, so he occupied himself with tugging at one of the straps of her dress while he trailed hot, wet kisses from below her ear to the base of her neck. Jeff's attentions weren't exactly helping Annie to maintain her concentration, but eventually another button popped free. But when Jeff began nipping at the spot directly below her ear, she lost the last bit of manual dexterity she had left and the final button remained in place, defiantly taunting her.

Annie had never hated an inanimate object so much in her life.

A frustrated huff escaped her lips, causing Jeff to pull back. He placed his hands gently over hers to still their fidgeting, then grinned at her as he grabbed his shirt and tore it open. The malevolent and spiteful button flew across the room and Annie felt a surge of satisfaction at its inglorious demise.

Annie was still staring in the direction of the slain demon button when she felt Jeff's hand gently on her chin, turning her gaze back to him. His shirt had been discarded and he was now down to just a tight undershirt that only accentuated the ripples of his muscles.

"Annie," he said softly, "relax." Though truth be told, Jeff was glad she was nervous. Allowing himself to feel like he was helping her keep it together gave him something to focus on. A responsibility that would keep him from flying apart entirely, because that was precisely what he was in danger of doing.

"I'm sorry," Annie tittered nervously, "I just want everything to be perfe-"

Jeff cut her off with a kiss that that left them both panting for breath afterwards. "_You're_ perfect." He somehow managed to keep his voice confident despite the fact that he was drowning in those pristine pools of blue she called her eyes. "Now lay back. I'm going to help you relax."

Annie reclined slowly, jittery nerves mixing in equal parts with rampant desire and excitement. "What are you-" Her voice hitched and was replaced by a tiny gasp as his hand began sliding up between her legs, pulling her dress along with it. When he reached her hips, she lifted her lower body slightly off the couch to allow him to lift the dress above her waist. Jeff maneuvered himself around so that he was kneeling at her left side. He leaned in and pressed his lips gently against hers.

"I love you," he whispered.

Annie's eyes drifted closed as his hand slipped slowly up her inner thigh. She twitched and let out a little squeak when his fingers began running lightly over the smooth lace of her panties. Her mouth fell open as he gradually applied more and more pressure. He could feel the heat of her sex through the fabric and it was everything he could do to maintain his deliberate pace. Her clit had stiffened immediately when his fingers had first danced over it, and each time he passed it again Annie's hips would grind forward unconsciously in response, accompanied by a quick intake of breath.

Jeff continued making lazy circles around her labia until he felt the fabric of her panties growing moist and the little high pitched whimpers coming from Annie had turned into a near constant whine emanating from the back of her throat. Just when his teasing was on the brink of shattering her sanity, she felt her panties pulled to the side and two long, thick fingers slid inside her.

"Ohhhh… _God…_" Annie gasped as her right hand gripped the couch and her left dug little half-moon rivulets into Jeff's shoulder.

Annie was soaking wet, and Jeff had never felt anything quite so exquisite in his entire life. "Fuck, you feel good Annie," he grunted as he began working his fingers in and out of her. Annie's hips began gyrating in concert with his hand as he continued working his fingers deeper, his thumb massaging her clit in long, slow circles.

Annie's teeth were threatening to draw blood from her lower lip and her breath was coming fast and heavy. Her mind soon lost all ability to hold an intelligible thought beyond _Jeff_ and the vague knowledge that if he stopped what he was doing, she would die.

He didn't stop.

Jeff could feel Annie growing hotter as he continued to work her closer and closer. He stared intently at her, her eyes were shut tight, her face a mixture of rapture and desperation. All those times he'd secretly fantasized about putting a look like that on her face – he'd never imagined it could be this good. Fuck, she was just so goddamn _beautiful_.

Jeff slid a third finger into her and Annie let out a guttural groan. Just when she didn't think she could possibly take any more, he began twisting his wrist with each inward thrust. "Jeff…" she choked out, "God… _Jeff!_ She felt a swell building inside her, every nerve in her body crackling with electricity. Jeff kept relentlessly at his task and she could feel herself slipping over the edge, a constant stream of little mewling cries spilling out of her.

Jeff curled his fingers inside her and the dam broke. Annie threw her head back and let out a noise that was half-moan, half-shriek. Her legs clenched together, trapping Jeff's wrist in place, but he continued curling his fingers inside her, helping her ride out her orgasm. He was whispering something in her ear as she came, but he may as well have been speaking in tongues for all her mind was able to comprehend it.

Eventually Annie felt her insides start to slowly unwind and was left feeling a warm afterglow. She pried her eyes open slowly to find Jeff gazing at her with his trademark smirk spread across his face. "Still nervous?" he quipped.

Annie huffed out a laugh that was accompanied by a sudden surge of emotion and she quickly found herself teetering on edge between giggling hysterically and sobbing uncontrollably. She covered her face with her hands and took several deep breaths. It took an almost superhuman exertion of willpower, but she was able to keep herself under control. Maybe Jeff would know that the giggles or even tears were actually a _good_ thing, but she didn't want to have to explain it if he didn't. She wasn't done with him yet.

Jeff was eyeing her quizzically when Annie opened her eyes again. To ward off any questions, she quickly grabbed him by the hand to lead him to the bedroom. But when she tried to rise, her legs were quivering so badly that she lost her balance and dropped heavily back onto the couch. Several attempts later, she was still sitting on the couch, looking quite nonplussed about what to do next. Jeff had the answer, and she found herself being carried towards her room, her legs draped over one of his arms and the other under her shoulders. Judging by the look on his face, Annie definitely did _not_ need to explain to him that her inability to walk meant that she had rather enjoyed his efforts.

"Aren't we going to your room?" she asked weakly.

Jeff gave a curt shake of his head. "Your bed. It's hotter."

Annie didn't understand why that made a difference, but she wasn't about to argue with the man that had just made her come as hard as she ever had. They reached her bed and Jeff laid her down on it gently. Once on the bed, however, Annie's temporary inability to walk was no longer a handicap and she pulled him back down onto her as he tried to rise. She kissed him hungrily, her legs drifting open and inviting him in. "Jeff," her voice came out low and throaty, "I want you. Right now."

Jeff didn't need to be told twice. He broke a personal speed record for removing his shoes, but as he grabbed for his belt he hesitated when he noticed that Annie was lying motionless. "Are you…?" he began tentatively.

Annie fixed him with a devious smile. "All in good time. I'm watching something right now."

A smirk spread slowly across Jeff's face. "Something?"

"It's a show I've always wanted to see."

Jeff stepped close to the bed. "Well then maybe you could give me a hand?"

Annie's eyes bored into him, making unspoken promises as her hand slowly pulled the end of his belt out and undid the buckle. She held onto the buckle as Jeff stepped back slowly, the belt slipping through one loop at a time until it clattered to the floor. He then began removing his undershirt with exaggerated slowness and for once Annie made no effort to hide the fact that she was ogling him.

Jeff's smirk remained firmly in place as he watched the look of pure hunger in Annie's eyes as his pants dropped to the floor. His socks were next, but when he grabbed the elastic of his boxer briefs, Annie gave a slight shake of her head.

"It's my turn."

Annie arched slightly and slowly pulled her panties down until they were around her knees, then she lifted her legs straight up in the air and continued sliding them gradually upwards. Jeff's eyes smoldered with desire as she slipped her right leg through one loop, then left them dangling around the spike of her left shoe as she alternated slowly bending either leg then kicking it back up. Finally she reached up and yanked her panties off, twirled them around her finger a few times, and then threw them at Jeff.

He caught them instinctively, his mind briefly registering the still damp feel of the fabric, but then Annie was sliding her dress down off her shoulders and down past her breasts and Jeff had to force his mouth closed. The dress continued bunching up as she slid it further down, gradually revealing more and more of her smooth porcelain skin, until it too found its way to the floor. Annie reached behind her and undid the clasp of her black lace bra, cupping it to her chest after the straps slid off. She smiled slyly as she lowered it so slowly that Jeff thought time had come to a stop. But at long last, one perfectly round, pink nipple came into view, followed soon by the other.

Annie tossed the bra to the floor, her eyes fixed on the sizeable bulge in Jeff's underwear as she raised her right hand and crooked her index finger at him, beckoning him to her.

Jeff never did figure out how he was able to keep himself from sprinting the few feet between them and then launching himself at her, but soon enough he was standing next the bed, his eyes drinking in the entirety of her flawless body.

Annie's hand crawled up his thigh and snuck underneath the elastic band at the bottom of his boxer briefs. Annie gasped softly and Jeff let out a groan as her hand found its way around his cock. He was already diamond cutter hard, but somehow he still stiffened further as she began leisurely stroking the length of his shaft.

Their eyes were locked together and Jeff saw stars as Annie made a little circle with her thumb and index finger and began massaging his tip. He started to feel dizzy as she continued working, and soon it just became too much. As good as it felt, he needed _more_.

The next few moments were a blur but he found himself on top of her, their legs tangled together, his left hand cupping her breast, and his mouth nipping at the base of her neck where it met her shoulder. The fingers of Annie's left hand scratched lightly through Jeff's hair, her right hand was still gripping his cock, trying with marginal success to continue stroking him despite being mostly trapped between them.

Jeff's fingers began toying with Annie's nipple, and he felt it harden as he rolled it between his thumb and forefinger. But when Annie began giggling, he came to a stop.

"Sorry," he said breathlessly, "does that tickle?"

"A little," Annie said amidst another chortle, "but that's not why I'm laughing."

Jeff raised his head and gave her a questioning look.

"Britta told me that you like nipple-play."

Jeff felt a flash of irritation. "She _what?_"

"It's ok, Jeff," Annie pulled him close and began nibbling on his ear lobe. "I like it too."

Jeff found it difficult to stay angry, what with Annie's naked body pressed against his, along with the other attentions she was paying him. Still, he felt affronted. "She shouldn't be telling you about that stuff," he grumbled.

"Girls talk," Annie shrugged, "you're not going to change that."

"Okay…" Jeff allowed, "but _she_ shouldn't be telling _you_ that stuff."

Annie started giggling again. "Worried that she gave you a bad review?"

Jeff's hesitation served as his answer.

"Don't worry about it," Annie said as she stroked the side of his face. "It's not as bad as you think. Whatever else she may have told me – and it was a lot – clearly didn't ruin your chances with me. Besides," Annie's glanced down shyly, "I was the one who asked."

Jeff didn't know exactly what "a lot" meant, but he didn't like it, even if Annie had been the one to ask. The last thing he needed right now was to be worrying about what Britta had told Annie about their sexual exploits. _Dammit._ Even half a world away, she'd managed to one-up him and throw him off his game. He needed to focus on Annie, he couldn't allow Britta to…

An idea popped into Jeff's head.

"You know, Troy used to fake orgasms with her when he was tired."

Annie's eyes widened in shock and her mouth fell open before morphing into a tentative grin that suggested she didn't quite believe him, but really really wanted to. "_Nuh-uh!_"

"Swear to God."

Annie's eyes sparkled as she began laughing hysterically. Normally, Jeff would be more than a little disturbed by a fit of laughter spilling out of the woman he was about to have sex with, but under these circumstances, he was quite pleased with it.

With Britta soundly defeated, Jeff turned his full attention back to Annie. He began kissing her deeply, licking passionately into her mouth and soon her laughter had turned into muffled moans.

"Jeff…" she gasped in between kisses, "do you… have… a condom?"

Jeff froze. _Fuck. Fuck! FUCK!_

Annie read the look on his face and knew the answer. "It's ok," she pointed towards the luggage stand, "in my suitcase."

Jeff had never been happier about the fact that Annie Edison was never unprepared for anything. "Oh my God, I love you." He gave her one last kiss before reluctantly climbing off her and making for her suitcase.

Annie propped herself up on her elbows. "Still think to-do lists are lame?" she teased.

Jeff glanced back at her. "I will make whatever lists you want me to." Jeff pulled her suitcase open and grabbed the box of condoms that was sitting on top. He paused, then showed it to Annie. "Economy pack? There are over a hundred of these."

Annie gave him a cunning look. "What's the matter Winger? Don't think you can handle it?"

Jeff strode back to the bed and ran his eyes up and down Annie's body. "Hmm. I guess we _might_ have enough to get us through tonight."

"That's the spirit."

Jeff let Annie help him with the application, marveling that this was the same girl that had once broken into the Dean's office to try to practice this activity on an anatomically correct model.

Annie lowered her eyes and smiled shyly as Jeff climbed back on top of her. She'd wanted this for so long, but now that it was about to happen she couldn't keep her heart from fluttering. Jeff sensed her hesitation and placed a finger under her chin, lifting her gaze to him. His face was full of compassion and tenderness, but most of all, love. Annie's eyes grew moist as she looked up at him. "I love you so much," she said softly.

Jeff leaned down and kissed her passionately. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him. How he'd never loved anyone or anything anywhere near as much as he loved her. That she was the answer to his greatest questions about life. That she was all his answers. But were he to try to articulate those emotions, he knew he would never be able to make it without breaking down completely. With words not an option, he would just have to show her instead.

They broke apart from the kiss, their faces inches apart, eyes staring deep into the other's soul.

Jeff pushed against her, and Annie could feel herself melting. She fought the urge to close her eyes, she wanted – needed – to see him. To capture this moment and keep it with her forever. He pushed slightly harder, and Annie breathed in tremulously. What was he waiting for? Suddenly she recognized the slightly questioning look in his eyes and she gave a tiny nod. "Please…" she breathed, her voice barely audible.

Annie felt her muscles relax, opening up for him as he slipped slowly in past her hood. He hesitated slightly, then sank the rest of the way into her, both of them gasping simultaneously as she engulfed him completely. They fit together effortlessly, as though made for each other, the soft curves of Annie's body a perfect contrast to the hard muscles of Jeff's. They remained still for a moment, savoring the sensations of their joining but also gathering themselves after the initial rush. They held each other tight, as though the world would crumble to dust if they let go.

"Jeff…" Annie whimpered as he began moving inside her. He went slowly at first as they began to get a feel for each other, but soon he was gradually increasing the speed and intensity of his movements. Annie rocked into him, encouraging him to go faster. She slid her hands down his back until she was firmly gripping his ass, pulling him deeper with every thrust.

"Fuck, Annie…" he muttered hoarsely, consumed by the way her warmth surrounded him. He could feel how wet she was for him, her hips spread as wide as possible and rolling in concert with his own. Her mouth was open, producing a constant stream of tiny cries that only subsided when his mouth found hers. They inhaled sharply together as they kissed urgently, Annie's hands flying up to cup the sides of his face as she moaned into his mouth.

Jeff was certainly no stranger to sex, but he'd never been so affected by it. Every little movement was sending shockwaves through him, relentlessly battering his will and threatening to send him tumbling into oblivion. The only thing holding him together was the tiny brunette that clung desperately to him. She was his anchor, his lifeline amidst the storm of passion that raged between them.

For her part, Annie was surprised by how collected she felt. Or, she would have been if her mind had been capable of processing such thoughts. Yes, she was wriggling wildly underneath him, crying out his name and clawing at his back, but after the way she had nearly lost her mind when he had fingered her, she had pretty much resigned herself to needing intense psychotherapy to recover from the sex. Instead, Annie floated through a sea of ecstasy, every part of her hyper aware of Jeff and the places their bodies touched, but most of all the way he felt inside her – the way he filled her so completely.

She was in the midst of calling out his name again when it happened.

"Jeee-_uuhhhhh_ mmnnn… _guhh… Goddd!_" Annie found herself scarcely able to breathe. "What…" she tried to choke out the question of what he had just done, but then he did it again. "Fuuuuu…" Annie swallowed hard, "Oh, _fuuuuck!_" Jeff had found her spot, and began pounding it incessantly, like a woodpecker with OCD. Annie's legs wrapped around him instinctively, she grabbed two fistfuls of the sheets and held on for dear life as she wailed incomprehensibly.

Jeff knew he couldn't keep this up for long. The way she felt and the way she was reacting was just too much to handle. He could feel himself starting to lose control. "Annie…" he called out urgently, "Annie, look at me. Baby… please."

Somehow Annie was able to comprehend and respond to him. Her eyes opened fitfully and met his.

"Come for me, baby," he pleaded. "_Come for me…_"

Annie was completely under his power, and coming for him seemed the simplest of requests.

So she did.

A wave of pleasure more intense than any she'd ever known spread from her core and out through her entire body. The world seemed to shrink as she came, until the only thing she could see was Jeff and the only thing she could hear was the quivering moan that was being ripped from her throat.

Jeff could feel Annie flood with cum as she clenched around him. Her body shuddered violently, but she managed to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him down so that his ear was next to her mouth. "Jeff," she mewled, "I want you to… inside me. Come. Come inside me. _Please…_"

Never in Jeff's wildest fantasies had he ever imagined those words coming out of Annie's mouth. He was utterly unequipped to handle it. All he could do was what she bade him to do. Jeff buried himself in her as deep as he could go and let go of the sweetest release of his life. He pressed his forehead against Annie's shoulder and groaned as his hips spasmed involuntarily, while Annie continued to whisper encouragement into his ear. Finally, he collapsed on top of her, both of them falling silent and breathing heavily.

They remained still for several long moments, the low thrum of the heater the only sound besides their breathing, until Jeff raised his head and gazed down at her, an exhausted smile covering his face. The disheveled husk of Annie Edison gazed back at him, eyes glassy and distant, her visage bearing a look of pure contentment.

Jeff leaned down and kissed her lips gently, which seemed to draw her back to reality. She reached one hand up and ran it lightly through his hair as she grinned into the kiss. Eventually Jeff rolled off of her and crashed heavily onto the bed by her side.

"Jesus, Annie," he puffed. "That was… I don't even know how to describe what that was."

Annie rolled onto her side and laid her head on Jeff's shoulder, then began running her finger up and down his torso, which was still slick with sweat.

"You sound surprised," she murmured.

"Well," Jeff chuckled, "I thought it would be good, I just wasn't expecting _that_."

"Why not?" Annie sounded mildly offended. Her finger circled his nipple lightly before giving him a playful pinch. Jeff flinched and grabbed for her hand, but she anticipated his movement and eluded him. She got in two more little tweaks before he caught her, but Annie didn't give up easily and began pinching his side with her free hand. Jeff yelped and tried to scoot away from her, losing his grip on her arm in the process. Annie came at him again with both hands, and they struggled back and forth amidst a flurry of giggles, laughs and nipping fingers. When their wrestling match finally ended, Annie was straddling him with her wrists caught in either of Jeff's hands.

Annie squirmed ineffectually, then let out a little huff. "Truce?" she offered.

"You tell me, you started it." Jeff's smirk slowly slid off his face as his eyes drifted down to the curve of her breasts.

Annie recognized her opportunity for escape and rolled her hips over him. Jeff groaned as his eyes started to slide closed, and she felt his cock twitch beneath her. In one quick move she yanked free of his grasp, pushed herself down so that she was astride his legs, and took him in both her hands. She worked up and down at a variable pace, fast, slow, fast, fast, slow… until he was fully erect again. Then she was hurriedly grabbing for another condom and her deft little hands applied it while Jeff stared at her with a mixture of desire and disbelief.

She positioned herself back over him, but paused when he was just on the cusp of entering her again. Jeff made a pleading sound in his throat, his eyes begging her to end this most exquisite of tortures.

Annie flashed a crafty grin at him. "We've always made an amazing team, Jeff," her voice came out low and husky. "You should have known we'd be amazing at-" Annie lowered herself onto his cock and then slid down the entire length of him, "_thissss._"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

For the first time since they'd arrived in Australia, Jeff didn't require a cold shower. He stood motionless, one forearm pressed against the tiled wall of the huge walk-in shower, his head bowed as he relished the feel of the warm water cascading over his head and down his body. It felt good, but not anywhere near as good as Annie had. He didn't think anything would ever begin to approach that.

The first time she had been shy and almost hesitant at the start, though it hadn't taken long for her get over that. But she had been content to let him control things. The second and third times had been different. She had taken charge, directing their movements and leading them both to unimaginable heights of pleasure. It would have to reach a peak at some point wouldn't it? Didn't it violate some fundamental law of physics for every sexual encounter with Annie to immediately become the best sex of his life? Intellectually, he knew they'd eventually have to hit a plateau. But for now he was just happy to enjoy the ride. Besides, if their first three times were any indication of the level the plateau would be set at, he certainly had no grounds for complaint.

Annie hadn't been the least bit shy about telling him what she wanted, either. Although there were more than a few times where she didn't even ask. Jeff shook his head slowly as the memories washed over him. The things that had come spilling out of her mouth… it was all so unexpected that he had frequently found himself scrambling for a response. Who could've guessed that prim and proper Annie Edison was a Tasmanian Devil in bed? It was as if all those years she had been repressing her sexuality simply as a means of saving it up, and now the floodgates were open.

Jeff had been so mesmerized by her that he hadn't even noticed until afterwards that Annie had kept her high heels on throughout. When he laughingly questioned her about it, she'd given him a look that had stopped his heart, then giggled and made a quip about liking to dress up for big occasions. He shook his head again.

_Why is it always the innocent ones?_

Jeff felt a gust of cool air on his back and turned to find Annie padding towards him, in all her naked glory. He was having a difficult time coming to grips with the idea that seeing her naked was something he was allowed to do now, and she still took his breath away. "Um," he stammered briefly, then managed to inject some faux indignation into his voice, "you ever hear of knocking?"

"You were taking too long," Annie said nonchalantly as she drew up in front of him.

This time the indignation in his voice wasn't feigned. "I just got in like two minutes ago!"

"That can't be right," Annie shook her head dismissively. "If that were true, that would mean I had an ulterior motive when I told you that you could shower first." She stuck her hand under the water to test the temperature and let out a satisfied hum.

"You're diabolical, you know that?"

"And you love it."

Jeff couldn't stop himself from grinning, so any effort to deny it would've been pointless. His eyes scanned her figure again admiringly. "At least you took your shoes off this time."

"He said, fully erect."

Jeff's eyes snapped downwards instinctively and by the time he realized she was messing with him, she'd already stepped past him and into the rain-like stream of water.

"Wow, you're easy," she giggled as the water began to soak her hair and run in rivulets down her body.

"Only for you," he muttered under his breath.

Jeff had a pretty good idea what Annie's "ulterior motive" was, he just hoped that he was up for it. He couldn't remember the last time he'd gone four times in one night and the fact that he was now forty didn't do anything to boost his confidence. But no sooner had the thought passed through his head than Annie started prancing and shimmying around under the water, and he realized that he had nothing to worry about.

Jeff started towards her, but Annie hopped back a step and waved her finger at him admonishingly. "You had your turn," she said matter-of-factly. "Now it's mine."

Jeff paused and eyed her skeptically. Maybe she thought he meant to actually use the shower. Jeff had no such intentions, however. But when he took another step towards her, Annie stopped waving her finger and pointed it at him warningly. Jeff halted in annoyance, and Annie slunk towards him, her arm extended and her finger still pointed at his chest. His pulse quickened at the way she slowly emerged from the flow of water. Her finger stabbed into his chest just over his heart and drove him back relentlessly until he was pressed against the tile.

"It's. My. Turn."

Annie slithered back under the water, snagged a cream colored loufa, and lathered it up with some mango surf scented body wash. She turned to face Jeff and ran the loufa in a figure eight around her breasts, and then in achingly slow circles around both of her nipples, which were already standing at attention. By the time it had gone in tiny loops around the taut skin of her stomach and then down into the crevice between her legs, Jeff had decided that he'd never wanted to be a loufa so much in his life.

Annie turned and arched her back so that her ass was practically popping out at Jeff. The world's luckiest loufa continued on its merry way, scrubbing each cheek in turn, and then running sensuously up and down her thighs. She kicked her legs up behind her one at a time in order to wash her calves, but in order to wash her feet she simply bent over and touched her toes, her ass forming into the shape of a heart.

Jeff would have categorically failed the eunuch test. Annie straightened lithely, then strutted towards him, her eyes fixated on his swollen member and a mischievous smile touching the corners of her lips. When she reached him, she held up the loufa and pouted out her lower lip. "I need some help," she said in a voice that Jeff hadn't heard since she'd convinced him to fill in for the glee club Christmas pageant. Jeff took the loufa and she turned her back to him, edging close enough that his erection was poking her in the lower back. "You wash mine, and I'll wash yours?"

Jeff grunted agreement and began running the loufa up and down her back, savoring the gentle curves of her smooth, wet skin. Annie purred in relaxation as Jeff worked, her head lolling from side to side. After he'd made three full circuits of her back, she turned and snatched the loufa from him, then leisurely retreated to the water where she made a show of stretching languidly as the water flowed down the length of her, taking the soapy suds with it.

Once she had rinsed, Annie freshly lathered the loufa and returned to Jeff. But instead of turning him around to wash his back, she promptly grabbed his still stiff cock instead. "Wha-" Jeff gasped, "What are you doing?"

Annie flashed a grin that would've made the Cheshire Cat proud. "Washing yours, silly."

Jeff groaned and his head fell back against the tile with a thunk as her hands started nimbly working away from the tip of his shaft down to his balls. Despite having already come three times, it didn't take long for him to start twitching involuntarily. Troy could think whatever he wanted. Jeff had no objections whatsoever to Annie being good at everything.

Jeff's gaze drifted away from the ceiling and back down to Annie, who was concentrated on her task, occasionally adding a bit more lather to act as a lubricant for her efforts. He found himself transfixed by the way her breasts giggled slightly as she pumped away at him, and suddenly he had to have more of her. His hand wandered towards one perfectly shaped breast, but before he could reach it, Annie's hand struck like a viper and slapped him away.

"No touching," she teased.

_Oh, hell no._

Jeff moved like a flash and Annie barely had time to gasp in surprise before she found their positions reversed, with her back now pressed against the tile wall, her wrists pinned above her head by one of Jeff's hands and his face inches away from hers.

"About this no touching rule of yours," he growled, "it doesn't work for me." His eyes flashed wildly as he continued, "I spent five years not touching you, and I'm done with it."

"Took you long enough," a slow smile spread across Annie's lips as she rebuked him playfully. "I couldn't believe you made it all the way through my shower. For a second there I thought maybe you didn't like me anymore."

"Enough talk," he grumbled as he let go of her wrists in favor of two handfuls of her firm, round breasts. Annie gulped back a moan as Jeff's tongue began licking the beaded droplets of water off her chest and then circling her right nipple. Her hands dug into the wet, matted hair at the back of his head as his teeth nipped at her lightly before moving to the other side. His mouth continued to run hungrily over her skin as he began to work lower, and he decided that if this is what craving young flesh got you, being a monster wasn't so bad.

When Jeff had finally lowered himself to his knees, he leaned in and kissed Annie lightly on her neatly trimmed little landing strip. He grabbed her lightly around her left leg and guided it up until it was slung over his shoulder. His hands shifted to her waist and her right leg slid out slightly to the other side as she opened up for him. Annie took a shaky breath and Jeff raised his eyes to meet hers. She was staring at him feverishly, her mouth hanging open slightly in anticipation. Jeff gave her a little wink and then dove in.

Annie sucked in a sharp breath as his tongue darted out and began running laps around her clit. Jeff concentrated his efforts there until she was breathing heavily, her stomach convulsing with each breath. When he had her properly tuned up, he shifted lower and buried his tongue inside her, his upper lip still sucking away at her pink little bud.

"_Jeefff,_" Annie whined as she grabbed the back of his head with her right hand and pulled him deeper, while her left hand scrabbled for purchase against the slick tile. "Just like that… _yessss…_"

Jeff was already drunk on the taste of her and he continued zealously licking into her, savoring all the little ways she responded to his touch. He was just beginning to learn her body, but already he knew that when he flicked his tongue like that…

"_OHHHH…_"

She made that noise, and when he ran his tongue forcefully around her clit like that…

"Oh my God, you're so- _unnhhh_ good at that…"

He earned compliments like that. And when he hummed and sucked on her like that…

"MMMmmmnnnNNN!"

She made a high pitched noise like that. And when he combined the last one with shoving his fingers inside her and tickling that special spot he'd found, like… that…

Annie screamed.

Her thighs closed around him like a vise and he had to pull his head back to avoid being smothered. He kept working his fingers inside her as he had earlier, but this time he used his other hand to rub her clit furiously as she quaked around him. A particularly strong spasm hit her and Jeff found himself experiencing an entirely different type of shower.

Jeff looked up at her when Annie finally began to loosen. He expected to find her dazed and overcome as she'd been before, but instead her eyes were dark and intent, piercing into him with ravenous desire. Jeff pulled his hand out of her and licked his fingers clean, and a wicked grin spread across her face.

"Jeff," she croaked breathlessly, "Do you know what I want?"

Annie was leaning against him for support, so when Jeff stood, he did so carefully. His cock was already throbbing and her hand immediately encircled him again. Annie spread her thighs slightly and pulled him towards her.

Jeff let himself be drawn closer. He loomed over her and directed his most intense gaze into her eyes. "Tell me. Tell me what you want," his voice was low and commanding.

Annie met his gaze with steely determination. "I want you."

Jeff's eyes narrowed slightly. "You want me… to what?"

Annie didn't blink. "I want you to fuck me."

Another thing Jeff was having trouble coming to grips with was this transformation sweet, innocent little Annie Edison had undergone into this sexual dynamo. Despite the impatience of his genitals to heed her wishes, Jeff was compelled to see just how far she was willing to take things.

"You're a naughty girl, aren't you?"

Annie's mouth quirked upward into a half smile. "Isn't that what you wanted me to be?"

Her response caught him off guard. Was that the only reason she was acting this way? Because she thought it was what he wanted? As hot as it was, he didn't want her to have to be something she wasn't. "I want you to be you."

Annie's eyes softened and though her mouth didn't utter the word, her face was practically screaming 'Aww!' But an instant later her wily look returned. "Right now I want to be bad."

Jeff leaned down and kissed her neck below her ear, eliciting a tiny groan from Annie. His lips brushed lightly against her ear as he whispered, "Right now you're succeeding."

Annie let out a throaty laugh. "Just because I want you to fuck me in the shower?" she asked, as innocently as words she was saying would allow.

Jeff pulled back so that he was looking her in the eye again and gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. "Because you didn't say please."

Just like that Jeff was facing down the quivering lip and fluttering eyes of her best Disney face. "Pretty please?"

It just wasn't fair. A naked Annie Edison using the Disney face to beg him to fuck her in the shower? Mortal man was not meant to withstand such things. But Annie had one last finishing touch to add.

"I'll be a good girl, I pwomise." The glee club seduction voice made its return. It was the hammer, her naked body the anvil, and Jeff's self-control was caught in between.

The moments that followed were a jumble of hot, wet kisses, darting tongues, groping hands, scratching nails, and muffled moans. A condom appeared, from where, Jeff had no idea. The only plausible explanation he could come up with was that Annie was a wizard. And then he was inside her again, his blood rushing through his veins as though jet-propelled. Annie's back was pressed against the tile with her legs wrapped around his waist, and his hands gripped her ass to hold her up as they rutted against each other.

Jeff still couldn't help but be overwhelmed by her. How she moved, the way she felt, the exquisite little noises she made, the way her eyes seemed to penetrate him, laying his soul bare… but most of all, the endless love and affection he felt for her. He'd had sex with his share of attractive women, but it had always been a dalliance. Never before had he felt anything as intimate as what he experienced with Annie, never before had he cared more about his partner's pleasure than his own, never before had he felt like half of a whole.

He still wasn't sure what he'd done to deserve this. Annie was the sweetest, funniest, smartest and most genuine person he'd ever met, and, oh yeah, gorgeous. Jeff had never understood why she didn't have a constant train of guys chasing after her because as far as he was concerned, she could've had any guy she wanted. Yet despite every reason he'd given her not to, she'd still picked him.

Annie was doing that thing he loved, where she'd grind her hips against his while moving them side to side, almost as if she was doing a little salsa dance on his cock. He could feel her tightening around him, could see the growing look of desperation in her eyes, could hear her gasps growing quicker and more frantic and knew she was getting close. It was a good thing too, because Jeff was on the verge of losing control as well. He didn't know how long they'd been at it. Time seemed to distort when they were joined together like this. His legs and arms were burning with the effort of supporting the both of them, but he had absolutely no desire to stop. Their movements were gradually becoming jerky and erratic as they approached their climaxes. A haunted cry sprang from Annie's throat and she arched her back and pushed out from the wall as she began to shudder uncontrollably. Her muscles clenched around him, sending him crashing into his own orgasm. Jeff groaned as he pushed into her as deep as he could go, and they locked together as they rode the crest of ecstasy.

Jeff's legs began to give out, and they sank slowly to the floor. As they descended, Annie leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, her mouth buzzing against his ear as she whispered, "_I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you._"

They remained motionless for a while, breathing heavily in each other's arms and listening to the rhythmic splashing of the shower. Annie was the first to recover and pulled him into a long, slow kiss. She hummed happily as her tongue leisurely massaged his. Jeff would've gladly spent the rest of the night like this, but after a while, she pulled back and smiled at him.

"That was lovely. But I'm afraid I need another shower now." She jumped up and practically skipped over to where she'd left the loufa hanging, and was soon scrubbing herself down again. Jeff shifted around so he was sitting against the wall, lazily enjoying another of Annie's amazing performances.

When she was all showered and rinsed, she sauntered over to Jeff and hung the loufa around his ear. "Ok," she said lightly, "now it's your turn again. Try not to take too long this time," she finished with a wink.

He watched her go; she stepped delicately out of the shower and grabbed two towels, one which she wrapped around her hair and the other around her body. And then she was gone, leaving an exhausted Jeff slowly soaking on the shower floor by himself.

_Why is it always the innocent ones?_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Annie exhaled slowly as she sank onto the bed. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this drained. But one thing she knew for sure: she had never felt so thoroughly satisfied. She lay on the bed with her legs hanging off the edge, running her arms slowly along the luxurious fabric of the comforter. After a couple minutes, she climbed up to the head of the bed and slipped between the silk sheets, her head sinking slowly into the welcoming softness of one of the pillows. After only a few moments it felt as if someone had attached weights to her eyelids and she was fighting to keep herself from drifting off to sleep. Fortunately, it didn't take long before Jeff strolled into the room with a towel wrapped around his waist. Annie immediately perked up at the sight of his chest and abs.

"Is it okay if I bunk with you?" Annie asked sweetly. "I think my bed was hit by a tornado."

Jeff cracked a smile. "A tornado named Annie Edison. She struck again recently in the bathroom. I was lucky to make it out alive."

Annie batted her eyes at him. "They have some strange weather down under."

"The strangest. Alright," Jeff put on an air of suffering, but his eyes gave the lie to his tone, "you can sleep here. I never could say no to those doe eyes of yours. Fair warning though," Jeff let his towel drop to the floor, "sometimes I like to sleep naked."

Annie was having a difficult time coming to grips with the idea that seeing him naked was something she was allowed to do now, and she could feel her cheeks turning pink despite the laser focus her eyes retained on him. "I thought you might. At least," Annie's lips curved into a predatory smile, "that's the way I've always imagined it. I've actually never done it, but," Annie pulled back the covers, revealing her own naked form, "I'm willing to give it a try."

Jeff visibly swallowed before approaching the bed. Annie felt a tiny thrill course through her at the effect she had on him. She still had trouble believing it sometimes. She always had. He slipped into bed next to her and she pulled the covers up over the both of them. After he was situated on his back, Annie nuzzled up next to him on her side, hooking her right leg over his, laying her head on his shoulder and resting her right hand on his chest.

"I said you could crash here," Jeff deadpanned, "not use me as your mattress."

"Now, now," Annie chided him, "there's no reason to get snippy just because I won."

Jeff angled his head towards her and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "You won? Won what?"

"I won…" her hand drifted lower and she ran her finger lightly up and down his manhood, "seven to four."

"I don't know what you…" Annie could almost feel everything click in his head. "Wait, are you talking about the number of times we each came?" Annie gave a satisfied hum and Jeff snorted in response. "I'm pretty sure that if I made you come seven times and you made me come four, that means _I_ won."

Annie tsked reproachfully. "I give you full marks for your performance. Maybe I don't need to tell you this, but I will anyway – it was the best I've ever had, and it's not even particularly close." Annie could practically hear him grinning. "So I might concede you the MVP award… but I still won."

"How do you figure that?"

"Simple," Annie shrugged, "I got to have more orgasms than you."

Jeff snorted again, then chuckled. "Here's hoping you go undefeated."

Annie smiled to herself, but began edging away from him. If he really wasn't comfortable sleeping this close, then she wasn't going to force-

Jeff's right arm slid behind her and locked her in place while his left reached up and flipped off the light. Annie's smile reached ear to ear as she snuggled back up against him. Everything fell silent except for the sound of his heart beating in his chest. The slow rhythm lulled her closer to sleep and soon she was teetering on the precipice between waking and dreaming.

"Annie?" he said softly.

His voice startled her back from the edge of sleep, but her mind was still shutting down. "Hmm?"

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love… Jeff… Wing…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: So, I've been going slower than I'd like with these last two chapters, but thanks everyone for being patient with me. This chapter started out as fluff and feathers, and then... life got dark. I suppose I wanted to explore the ways in which Jeff and Annie can help support each other, despite their damaged pasts. I promise the next chapter will be more ****paintbally**** uplifting. Happy Labor Day everyone!**

Jeff was running through a dense fog, his footfalls muffled by the unknown surface he was traversing. Annie was next to him, running just as fast, her face wearing a look of desperate determination. The fog flickered, and shapes began to emerge. The shapes slid past them slowly, much slower than they should have given the speed at which they were running. Jeff glanced to his side, the shapes appeared to be students, though he couldn't make out their faces. Their target was up ahead, a figure clad in black that alternately seemed to grow and shrink, whether because their distance to it was changing or because it was actually shifting in size, Jeff couldn't tell. The figure darted off to the right, and disappeared briefly into a puff of fog.

"This way!" Annie hollered as she dove into the fog. Jeff dove in after her and the next thing he knew he was in a clearing bathed with a fuzzy white light. The black-clad figure was kneeling in the center of the clearing, with Annie grasping tightly to the collar of its shirt. "Got you!" she shouted triumphantly.

Jeff moved over next to them and flashed a grin at her. He looked down at their captured prey, who struggled ineffectually against Annie's grip. "Your days of cracking are over, bandit," Jeff said in authoritative voice. "Now, let's see who you really are…"

Jeff pulled off the mask, but a cloud of fog belched out as he removed it, leaving the bandit's face obscured. The fog slowly dissipated, and suddenly Annie screamed. Jeff took a hurried step forward, but as he did, the bandit's face came into view and Jeff came to a crashing halt.

It was Annie.

Jeff started awake and for a few fuzzy moments he didn't remember where he was. Something warm and soft was pressed up against his side and the memories came flooding back – Annie, the opera, the whispers, the car ride, Annie, the couch, the bed, the shower, Annie… A brief flash of panic hit Jeff and he cracked one eye open to make sure Troy hadn't somehow returned in the middle of the night. Dark brown hair greeted him this time instead of black and he let out a little sigh of relief.

Jeff opened his eyes the rest of the way and gazed down at her. Her head was resting lightly against his right shoulder and her face was tilted up slightly towards him. Her eyes were closed gently, and this time Jeff was certain that her lips were curved into a tiny smile. She looked so placid and serene, her chest rising and falling evenly with each little breath she took. It was quite a change from the woman that was always moving 100 miles per hour when she was awake. Somehow Jeff had always imagined that Annie got more done while she was sleeping than most people did in their waking hours. It was a small comfort seeing her like this; it helped to somewhat assuage his fears that he wouldn't be able to keep up with her.

Jeff gingerly moved his left arm up, careful not to jostle Annie, and grabbed the remote control for the blinds. He raised them to the top and watched out the window as the sun began to bathe the world in its golden light. He sighed wistfully as his eyes drank in the sunrise.

Jeff didn't know what the future held. He had a degree from and was a teacher at a community college of dubious repute, he had an apartment he could barely afford, a hefty balance on his credit cards, little to no savings, his longest sustained relationship consisted of 'friends with benefits' with a woman he was completely incompatible with, he still hated his father and avoided his mother, and half of the most important people in his life had either died, left to sail around the world or were leaving for Atlanta. But right now?

Annie took a deep breath while shifting her weight and smacking her lips together a few times. She settled again with a small huff and resumed her slow and even breathing. Jeff glanced down at where her tiny hand was now resting on his chest directly below his chin.

Right now, life was good.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The dregs of Annie's dream faded deeper into the recesses of her mind as she swam gradually towards consciousness. Her eyes drifted open to find a full view of Jeff Winger's sculpted torso. The usual thrill that accompanied the sight of a shirtless Jeff crackled through her, although Annie had to suppress her instinct to hide it. No need for that anymore. This set of chest and abs were hers to ogle as she pleased now. All in all, Annie figured this was just about the best sight she'd ever woken up to.

Annie lifted her head and glanced up at Jeff. His head was propped up on a pillow as if he'd been watching something before drifting back off to sleep. She settled back down against him and followed where she imagined his gaze had been directed. Whereas her window looked out primarily over the water, Jeff's offered a sweeping view of downtown Sydney and the Opera House off to the left. Maybe he'd woken up in time to watch the sunrise, and that's why he'd-

_Sunrise!_

A jolt of panic hit her and she sat bolt upright before scrambling up and vaulting over Jeff. Jeff sat up with a start as the bed shook and Annie landed on the floor next to him with a thud.

"Annie? What-"

"We're late!" Annie yelped, "We're going to miss our flight!" She spun around in circles searching for her clothes before remembering that she'd left them back in her room.

"Annie-"

"Hurry!" Annie shot a glance at the clock on the nightstand. It read 7:25. "If we're out the door ten minutes, we might make it!" She darted over to one of Jeff's suitcases and began hurriedly tossing things into it.

"Annie-"

"Jeff!" Annie squawked, "_Why_ are you just sitting there?!"

"Because our flight is tomorrow."

Annie froze, a wad of clothes clutched in one hand. "But…?" She did a quick mental check of her internal calendar. "But… I made arrangements with the airline and concierge for…"

A triumphant smile was painted on Jeff's face. "You're not the only one that can have secret conversations with the concierge. Now," Jeff gestured to where Annie was standing, "unless you want to cause a few boating accidents, maybe you want to step away from the window?"

The particular suitcase Annie had begun stuffing with clothes was on a luggage stand positioned where the wall adjoined the panoramic window. Annie squeaked and scampered back to the bed where she immediately burrowed under the covers.

She could hear Jeff's muffled laughter through the comforter and popped her head out to give him a wounded look. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I meant to," Jeff shrugged, "but something sort of distracted me last night."

Annie felt her cheeks warm as she remembered all the ways she'd "distracted" him. She frowned as thought occurred to her. "Don't you have class tomorrow? I emailed the Dean to tell him we'd be back today. He might be mad at you."

Jeff arched an eyebrow at her. "Craig Pelton, mad at me? Remember who you're talking to. Besides," he went on nonchalantly, "I'll just tell him we lost a day due to the time zones."

Annie furrowed her brow. "But… going across the date line in that direction _gains_ us a day."

Jeff gave her a significant look. "And as long as _you_ don't tell him that, I'll be fine."

Annie's frown returned as Jeff climbed off the bed and stretched before snagging a towel and wrapping it around his waist. She didn't like the idea of him lying to the Dean, but asking Jeff Winger to give up lying cold turkey was a bit like asking a kangaroo to give up hopping. She'd have to pick her battles.

"It's like you said about the Opera House," Jeff was saying as he rifled through his dresser and closet for an outfit to wear, "it'd be a shame to come all this way and not see some things. Who knows if we'll ever come back?"

Annie shrugged and nodded her head. It was a fair point. "Do you want me to get my computer so we can look at stuff to do?"

"Nope." Jeff turned to face her with a set of clothes in one hand and tossed a towel to her with his other. "You're not the only one that can use Google either. We just need to be ready to go in an hour." Jeff started towards the doorway then turned when he reached it and flashed a playful grin. "Depending on the type of shower you want to take, we've either got plenty of time, or we really need to get moving." With that, he spun and strolled off towards the bathroom.

Annie chewed on a fingernail and watched the empty doorway for a few moments before grabbing the towel Jeff had tossed her and hurrying after him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They had to get dressed in a hurry, but they managed to make it to their destination on time. Barely. They were in a large, hangar-like building with windows at the end where they had entered. Concrete floors met with concrete walls that rose up to form a rounded ceiling. They stood on a walkway about halfway between the floor and ceiling, as people passed below them looking through a souvenir shop and carrying on light conversation.

A group of about a dozen people were standing around in blue and gray jumpsuits as an instructor explained how their climbing belts and radio headsets worked and what they could expect on their impending journey. Annie listened attentively at the guide's instructions for attaching their climber belt to the safety line and how to adjust the volume on their headsets. They had already sat through a briefing, signed release forms that agreed that they were free of certain medical conditions, and taken a breathalyzer test to ensure they wouldn't be climbing while drunk. Annie had read the form from start to finish and listened with rapt attention to everything she was told. Jeff, on the other hand, had signed the form after barely glancing at it and then crossed his legs and closed his eyes throughout the presentation. When Annie had elbowed him in the side and whispered for him to pay attention, he'd simply grumbled and shifted out of her range.

When the guide finished the last of her spiel about the upcoming climb, the group began to file after her towards the departure point. Annie turned and tapped Jeff on the shoulder, pulling him away from the railing where he'd been leaning and watching the people meandering around below them.

"Jeff!" Annie hissed in a low voice, "Were you listening to the guide?"

Jeff turned and shrugged. "Not really."

Annie let out an annoyed huff as they fell in behind the tail end of the group. "This is serious, Jeff! That information is for our safety."

Jeff gave her a sardonic half smile. "Hardly. We're going to be walking up a bunch of steps. The only thing you're in danger of is getting a raccoon eye sunburn from those ridiculous glasses."

"I put sunscreen on!" Annie insisted. "Anyway," she gestured towards his own sunglasses, "you're one to talk."

"These are aviators!" Jeff looked positively scandalized. "I can totally pull these off."

Annie eyed him for a moment before saying flippantly, "If you say so."

Annie quickened her step to catch up to the last person in line while Jeff followed her, muttering something about the Dean having an orgasm in the hallway. She wasn't sure what that meant, but was pretty much sure she didn't want to.

The group made their way outside to the place where their climb would begin. Annie glanced up at the adversary they would be grappling with and took a deep breath. The Sydney Harbor Bridge stretched out before them, spanning almost a third of a mile across the harbor and climbing around 440 feet into the air. Jeff was right, the climb would consist of walking up steps while clipped to a safety line, and Annie had never been particularly afraid of heights, but still… from where she was standing the bridge made her feel awfully small.

The guide began speaking to them through their radio headsets as they set off, regaling them with facts about the bridge such as it being made of 52,800 tons of steel and that it contained over six million rivets. They were in the underbelly of the bridge, and Annie could hear the traffic passing above them. A tap on the shoulder got her attention and she turned to face Jeff.

"Can you hear what she's saying? I think my radio is broken."

Annie scrunched her face in annoyance. The guide had done a radio check, but naturally, Jeff hadn't been paying attention. She wasn't sure why he had been so distracted. You weren't allowed to carry items up with you, so Jeff's phone was sitting securely in a locker.

"Let me see it." Annie took Jeff's radio, flipped a switch, adjusted the volume up, and handed it back to him. "There. Pay attention next time."

Jeff grinned at her. "That's what I have you for."

Annie rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to climbing and listening to what the guide was saying. They had to climb through a few tight areas until they reached the top side of the arch, but for the most part it was a leisurely trip to the top. In fact, once they were up on the arch, it was basically like walking up a long curved staircase, albeit one with a breathtaking view. The sun was shining and only a few puffy clouds dotted an otherwise clear blue sky, and they could see for miles off into the distance.

The guide stopped numerous times on the way up to allow for group members to catch their breath, although that wasn't much of a problem for Annie or Jeff. During the breaks, the guide would tell them stories about Sydney and the building of the bridge. Annie found the anecdotes about the bridge fascinating, especially the one about Francis de Groot, the Irish captain who rode up on his horse and slashed the ribbon to open the bridge before the Premier of New South Wales could do so. Jeff, however, didn't seem all that interested and spent most of the climb staring off into the distance. When she'd tried to engage him during one of their breaks, he'd simply given her a half hug and a wan smile, then turned back towards the horizon. As they inched closer and closer to the top, he seemed to grow more and more withdrawn.

At last they reached the top of the arch where they had an all-encompassing view of the city, the surrounding land, the harbor and off into the ocean beyond. The guide announced that they would have some time to look around, and then she would be taking photographs of the group. Annie went over to where Jeff was leaning against the railing and put her arm around his waist.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She had to speak up in order to be heard above the wind and the noise of the traffic passing below.

He glanced at her briefly before returning his gaze out over the water. "I, uh…" he began tentatively before falling silent. Annie moved her arm up slowly and began rubbing his back. His gaze lowered until he was staring at the railing. He looked like he was about to say something, but instead he abruptly turned away. "I, uh, need to ask the guide something…" he mumbled as he walked away.

Annie didn't know what the problem was. The activity had been his idea after all. And looking around from this vantage, a really good idea at that, she had to admit. Well, she wasn't going to let Jeff's bi-polar tendencies ruin her enjoyment. She'd have a talk with him later about what was bothering him.

Annie struck up a conversation with a couple from Norway while they were waiting for the pictures to begin. The couple was very interested to hear that Annie was from Colorado, as they were both avid skiers and wanted to visit someday. Annie was in the midst of telling them about some of the skiing locations she knew when she heard a voice behind her.

"Annie?" The woman she'd been talking to, Helene, diverted her gaze over Annie's shoulder. For her part, Annie kept right on with her story. She wasn't about to let Jeff interrupt just because he was in a weird mood.

"I love you. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Helene's eyes grew wide, and she began bouncing excitedly and clapping her hands. Annie thought that her heart had stopped.

"Will you marry me?"

Annie felt positively numb and a thousand thoughts raced through her head at the speed of light. Yes, they'd known each other for years, and yes, she loved him, and he loved her. But they'd only just begun to express that openly to each other and this was technically only their second date. Jeff had always sworn that marriage was for suckers and that it was something he'd never do. Annie had always viewed that as one of his myriad of defense mechanisms, and figured he didn't truly mean it. But still, this was absurdly fast for a guy who was still denying his feelings for her a mere 72 hours earlier. Did he really want this? Did she? She'd fantasized about marrying Jeff for years, but it had mostly been about her own preoccupation with desperately seeking the love she'd always wanted, but never received from her family, classmates, Zac Efron, Troy, Jeff… She definitely _wanted_ to get married, and she thought she wanted to marry Jeff, but this was just so sudden…

Annie turned around slowly.

What she saw took her a moment to comprehend. A man was kneeling with his back to Annie, clasping the hand of a pretty blond girl who already had tears running down her cheeks. Behind them a ways, Jeff was standing by himself and watching the couple with an unreadable expression on his face.

Annie's heart began to beat again, and the tension drained out of her. But it left her feeling tired and strangely sad. The pretty blond girl began nodding furiously. "Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!" The man stood and she threw her arms around him as the rest of the group clapped. A melancholy smile fixed itself on Annie's face and she glanced at Jeff. He was staring at her, and she thought for a moment that she saw a trace of longing in his expression.

"I love you, Annie," the man was saying as they released from their hug. Annie and Jeff held each other's gaze while the newly engaged couple celebrated with a kiss.

"I love you too, Jeff," the blond girl replied. Jeff and Annie's eyes bulged simultaneously, and suddenly Annie felt the pressing need to return to her conversation while Jeff found a particularly interesting bolt to inspect.

Annie chatted with Helene and her husband for another minute until the guide gathered everyone together for a group photo, then split them into smaller groups. Jeff and Annie were the last to go, and they put aside the momentary awkwardness to smile wide for their pictures, with Annie even pretending to hold up the Opera House in one. After the photos were done, they crossed to the other side of the bridge and began the trek down. The stairs weren't exactly narrow, but they also weren't really wide enough for two people to walk side by side, so they had to walk single file. Jeff was once again behind Annie at the back of the group.

The group descended the stairs at an easy pace, but Jeff had resumed his distracted stares into the distance and Annie began to feel antsy. She didn't want to confront him in front of everyone, but he was acting so strange that it was really starting to concern her. She continued putting one foot in front of the other and silently willed the guide to move faster.

About halfway down the bridge, Annie felt something catch her left hand and pull it back a little. She glanced down to find Jeff's hand wrapped around hers, then turned and lifted her eyes to meet his. He looked at her with a tired smile on his face, then gave her a little wink. Annie smiled brightly back at him before turning around again. Their fingers stayed locked together the rest of the way down. Annie still didn't know what was bothering him, but she knew that everything would be alright.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After they had completed their conquest of the Harbor Bridge, the group returned to the building they'd departed from where they received their climber certificates. From the gift shop, Annie purchased a t-shirt that displayed a schematic of the bridge and read:

Height 134m  
Length 1,149m  
Stairs 1,390  
Steel 52,800t  
Rivets 6 million  
View 360°  
"And I Climbed It!"

They also bought a couple pictures that the guide had taken of them at the summit of the bridge. Jeff hadn't much felt like smiling, but he refused to allow a bad picture of him to be taken, so he'd done it anyway. And he looked damn good in those aviators. A point which he'd brought to Annie's attention, which earned him a significant eye roll and an elbow in the side.

The bridge climbing excursion had taken around two and a half hours from start to finish, and when the clock clicked over to noon, Jeff and Annie were in a rental car headed west out of the city. Jeff had protested vigorously when Annie synched her phone to the Bluetooth in the car, but she pleasantly surprised him by playing a mix of Dave Matthews Band's greatest hits. Once they were onto the winding roads through the foothills of the Blue Mountains, Annie broke out the lunch the concierge had put together for them and took turns feeding herself and Jeff. He could tell that Annie wanted to ask him about his behavior on the bridge and he silently thanked her for not forcing the issue. Between the drive, the music, the food, and the girl, Jeff had finally begun to feel like himself again. By the time they arrived in Katoomba, they were talking and laughing as much as ever.

Their first activity was to take the "short" walk around Wentworth Falls, after which they went over to Scenic World where they rode the skyway and railway and walked along the path below the canopy of trees at the base of the valley. The higher elevation meant cooler temperatures that barely touched 50 degrees for the high, so Jeff had worn a jacket and Annie had dressed in several layers to ward off the cold. The upside of the cooler climes was that it wasn't particularly crowded.

When sunset rolled around, Jeff and Annie were standing at the Echo Point Lookout. Jeff's hands were stuffed deep in his jacket pockets as he gazed out at the view of the Three Sisters and the surrounding mountains and valleys while Annie examined her camera, flipping through her pictures from the day and humming happily to herself.

"Ooh, Jeff, look at this one." Annie angled her camera so that he could see the screen.

"Oh, cool." The picture was one she'd snapped from the skyway, which was a cable car that ran across the canyon. The shot encompassed a view of the Three Sisters and the intermittent clouds had created an intricate pattern of shadows on the canopy of trees at the valley floor. "It looks kinda like the pattern on the Greendale flag," Jeff chuckled.

Annie turned the camera back and took a closer look, then made a sour face. "Great, now I'm not going to be able to look at that picture again without seeing that."

"You still haven't forgiven us for that one, have you?" Annie gave him a sarcastic glance, then looked back at her camera. "See? Can't take me anywhere," Jeff joked. "I ruin everything."

"Jeff," Annie sighed, "you do _not_ ruin everything." He had only been going for self-deprecating humor, but for some reason Annie felt the need to jump to his defense anyway. "We wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you, and I would have never climbed the Harbor Bridge."

Jeff flashed back to their morning climb, to when they'd emerged onto the first bit of the arch leading to the top, to when he'd finally understood the strange feeling of déjà vu he'd been having. His mind fled at the memory. He grunted some sort of agreement with Annie, then turned away and stared out over the canyon again while she returned her attention to her camera. He leaned against the railing and watched the ever lengthening shadows stretch across the valley and then creep their way up the sides of the mountains.

The temperature was starting to drop rapidly and a cold breeze had begun to blow, but Jeff didn't feel it. His vision unfocused and the world seemed to go quiet around him. He could feel the rumble. He could hear the scream. He could see the-

A small arm slipped through his and a head laid against his shoulder. "I'm starting to get cold," Annie said in a soft voice.

Jeff returned to the present, but kept his gaze on the horizon. Almost before he even realized it, the words began spilling out of him.

"I never had many friends as a kid. Even when I was little I had trouble letting people get close to me. I mean, what's the point when everyone close to you just ends up hurting you? That's something my dad taught me real early. And well." Annie's arm had tightened its grip on his, and he could feel her eyes on him. "There was railroad line not too far from the house where I grew up. And an old, rusted bridge that went over the Arkansas River. I used to go down there a lot. I liked watching the trains go by and putting pennies on the track for them to flatten. Sometimes I'd climb the bridge and sit on top while the trains would pass underneath me. But the best part about it was that I could be alone."

"One time I was sitting on the bridge and after a train went under I heard someone shouting at me. It was this girl who lived in the neighborhood off in the opposite direction from mine. How cliché is that?" Jeff huffed out a small laugh. "Two kids from the opposite sides of the tracks. Her name was Ella. She was twelve, about four years older than me. We were… a lot alike. She saw me up on the bridge and thought I was crazy. I suppose she wasn't wrong. Anyway, we became friends. We spent most of the summer together down by the tracks. I taught her how to climb the bridge and we'd find different things to have the trains run over or mess around down near the water. When school started back up, I told all the guys in my class that I had an older girlfriend." Jeff stole a glance at Annie. The fading light shrouded parts of her face, but her eyes sparkled with mirth at the idea of an eight-year-old Jeff Winger beginning to learn how to act like the coolest guy in school. But beneath the momentary amusement, he could still read her underlying concern.

"Sometime towards the end of summer, my mom had been looking for me for some reason and ended up finding us sitting on the bridge together. My mom lost it. She dragged me home and yelled at me for hours about how dangerous it was to climb that bridge. Then my dad came home and did the same thing. I didn't want to get in any worse trouble than I already was, so I blamed it on Ella. I told them it was her idea and that she had made me do it." Jeff shook his head ruefully. "My plan didn't exactly work. I was still grounded for a week and my parents told me not to hang out with Ella anymore. Of course, that didn't stop me from doing it."

"When school started again I didn't see as much of her, but we'd still meet up on weekends. The hard part was coming up with lies to tell my mom about where I was going. And for a while, I felt guilty enough about disobeying my mom that I actually stayed off the bridge." Jeff turned to face Annie and took her hands in his. He could already see it in her face, the realization of what had happened and the solemn look of resigned sadness as his words inevitably confirmed her suspicions. These were words he'd never spoken aloud to another person, but now felt compelled to confess. The first snow. The ice hidden underneath. The bridge. The climb. The slip. The fall. The train. The blood.

"I tried to catch her." Annie freed a hand from his so that she could wipe away some tears. It seemed to Jeff like he ought to be crying too, but all he felt was numb. "I grabbed her hand and for a second I thought it was going to be ok, but… she was bigger than me and I… I just wasn't strong enough. Maybe that's part of why I spend so much time at the gym," he said bitterly. "After the funeral… I was angry for a long time. Angry at the world, at my parents, at God, at Ella… but mostly at myself. Because it was my fault. If I'd listened to my mom, if I'd never shown her how to climb the bridge, if I'd just been able to hold on… She'd still be alive if she never met me. And yet, it seemed like everyone just felt sorry for me." He shook his head in disbelief. "Why feel sorry for me? I wasn't the one that died. It didn't make any sense to me. I thought people should've been mad at me. So I started acting out in school and at home. I wanted someone to _punish_ me. To yell at me, scream at me, _hit_ me. Because that's what I deserved. I could hear my parents arguing about it at night sometimes when they thought I was asleep. My dad wanted to punish me and my mom said it was just because of what I'd gone through. They would shout for hours, it seemed. It wasn't long after that that my dad left." He didn't say it, but he didn't need to. Annie's eyes made it clear that she knew he blamed himself for that too.

"I haven't thought about that in probably twenty years. I think… maybe I blocked it out or something. But when we got on top of the bridge this morning-" Jeff's voice hitched and he fell silent.

Annie wore a look of infinite sadness and compassion. She stepped closer and slid her arms around him, pressing the side of her face into his chest. "That's horrible, Jeff. I'm so, so sorry." She squeezed him tightly as she continued, "But it was an accident. It's wasn't your fault. You know that, right?" she asked fiercely.

"Maybe."

"Jeff," Annie sighed into his chest, "Ella was her own person. You may have taught her how to climb the bridge, but you couldn't have done that if she didn't want to learn. You didn't make her do it, it was her own free choice. And the two of you were just doing the sort of things lots of kids do, you couldn't have known what was going to happen."

"But I _did_ know, Annie. My mom told me why climbing the bridge was dangerous."

"So, an eight-year-old boy is supposed to have a full understanding of the worst possible consequence of an activity he's performed without incident over a hundred times based one time he got in trouble for doing it?" Annie lifted her head to stare intently into his eyes. "We've all been that age, Jeff. And we all felt invincible. We defined consequences in terms of getting grounded, spanked or yelled at. Kids don't think in terms of life and death, so don't hate yourself for being _normal_."

She made a good argument. She always did. But Jeff wasn't quite ready to stop hating himself, so instead he mumbled "You wouldn't have done it…"

Annie closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. "Do you want to know why I follow the rules, Jeff?"

He had a feeling that he didn't. "Why?"

"When I was ten, we moved to the house my mom is still in. There's a wooded area out back behind our yard, and my mom told me not to go back there. She said it might be dangerous. Well that sounded like fairy tale to me, and what little kid doesn't want to go exploring in the woods?" She smiled ruefully. "I knew I wasn't supposed to do it, but I took Anthony back there with me anyway. We found this spot where a couple big trees had fallen down and it looked like the perfect place to have tea parties, or a fort, according to Anthony."

Jeff chuckled at the thought of a miniature Annie Edison's tea parties being interrupted by her brother's war games. A wistful smile brushed Annie's lips as she continued. "We were climbing around on the rotting logs, but what I didn't realize was that some hornets had built a nest in a crevice in one of the tree trunks. I jumped up on it and heard this buzzing noise, and suddenly it was like my legs were on fire. I started screaming and flailing around trying to get them off me. I didn't know what to do. Anthony he… he had just turned six, but he was already just as big as I was. He pushed me down off the log but he slipped and his foot got caught in the trunk. The hornets all went after him."

Jeff could hear the pain in her voice as she told the story and the weight of the responsibility she felt. And somewhere along the way, he found for her the tears he couldn't find for himself.

"I ran to the house to get help, but by the time we got back, he had been stung over a hundred and fifty times. He went into anaphylactic shock and he almost died. He still has to carry a bee sting kit around with him to this day. I ended up getting stung seventeen times, but the guilt was much harder to deal with. I broke the rules and my brother almost died for it. And don't think my mother ever let me forget that either." Annie huffed and shook her head slowly. "I suppose I always had a predisposition towards following the rules, but that pretty much clinched it for life. So you see Jeff, our stories aren't all that different. I was just lucky enough that my brother survived."

Whenever Jeff was in one of his self-pitying moods, he liked to remind himself of all the bad things that had happened to him. At times like that, he felt utterly justified in his jaded and cynical outlook on life. Looking at Annie now, he felt like a child throwing a tantrum and stomping his foot at the world. She had been through just as much as he had, if not more, and somehow she always remained upbeat and optimistic. Over and over again, life had given this girl the proverbial lemons, and she just kept coming up with new recipes to use them in.

"Would it be overly trite of me to tell you that you couldn't have known those hornets were there, you were just doing what lots of kids your age did and that you shouldn't hate yourself for being normal?"

"Yes." Annie smiled warmly at him. "But it's still appreciated."

"Come here." Jeff pulled her close and engulfed her in a hug and Annie's arms snaked around him in return. They clung to each other, motionless, for several minutes – two damaged people, bent, but not broken.

When the creeping cold finally got the better of them, they made their way back to the car. The drive back to Sydney was much more subdued than the drive out had been. But Jeff found himself feeling like an enormous weight had been lifted from him. A weight he hadn't even remembered he was carrying. He knew enough to know that Annie was the one that had helped to lift the weight off him. What he didn't yet understand was why the weight had been lifted, or that he had helped do the same for her. These were lessons that Jeff Winger would eventually learn, but not without heartache, and not without cost.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Annie's alarm awakened them bright and early the next morning. They packed up their remaining items before saying goodbye to the concierge. When they'd arrived, Jeff wasn't sure what the two of them could've possibly needed their own personal concierge for. Now he never wanted to stay in another hotel without one. The hotel's car service drove them to the airport, but not before Jeff tried to convince Annie that they had time for one last shower. Annie demurred, claiming that they would need something to do while on the plane.

Once at the airport, they checked their bags and went through customs before arriving at their gate. They took a couple chairs by the window and settled in to wait, with Annie's head rested on Jeff's shoulder and his arm around her. They waited in silence, each reflecting on their whirlwind trip. They had been in Australia for just under two weeks, but their lives would be forever changed by it. And now it was time to return to Greendale to see how this fantasy come-to-life would play out in the real world. Or at least, as real as Greendale ever got. The attendant called for first class passengers, and Jeff and Annie boarded the plane and bid farewell to the land down under.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Paintball, part 1. Once again, thank you to everyone for reading and commenting!**

A cheer went up as Jeff and Annie walked through the security exit of the Denver International Airport, each with a bag slung over their shoulder. Waiting for them with a banner that read "Troy's Heroes" were Shirley, Britta, Abed, Rachel, the Dean, Duncan, Chang, and Pierce's brother Gilbert. Annie dropped her bag and rushed over to join a girls' hug with Shirley, Britta and Rachel while Jeff strolled casually over to where the men were standing. Abed stepped forward, but before he could say anything the Dean pounced on Jeff and wrapped him in a hug.

"I'm so proud of you, Jeffrey!" the Dean said into Jeff's chest.

"Uh, thanks Craig." Jeff shifted uncomfortably. "Could you be proud of me from a distance please?"

The Dean let go of Jeff with one of his patented 'oh the games we play' looks and stepped back next to Duncan. No sooner had the Dean departed Jeff's personal space than it was immediately occupied by Abed. He hesitated for a moment, then gave Jeff a quick hug. "Thanks for saving Troy," he said in a clipped tone. He stepped back and looked Jeff in the eye for a moment before averting his gaze. "Sorry for the outburst."

Jeff furrowed his brow at Abed. "I forgive you? Oh, hey," Jeff dug around in his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper and held it out to Abed. "Troy's answers to your questions."

Abed's eyes lit up as he snatched the paper out of Jeff's hand. "Cool. Cool, cool, cool."

To someone that didn't know him, Abed would've appeared perfectly calm. But to Jeff, it looked like he was practically bouncing in place. "You can read that now, if you want," Jeff said with a smirk.

Without a word, Abed spun and unfolded the paper rapidly, then buried himself in its contents. Jeff chuckled to himself as he turned to shake hands with Gilbert.

"Mr. Winger, a pleasure to see you again. I trust the flight and hotel accommodations met with your approval?"

"Are you kidding me?" Jeff scoffed. "They were amazing. Next time I take a trip, I know who I'm calling." Gilbert smiled and gave a satisfied nod as Jeff turned and eyed Chang. "Chang."

"Winger."

Jeff continued down the line and shook hands with Duncan. "What are you doing here, buddy? I didn't think you knew Troy very well."

"Lay off, Winger, Roy and I were perfectly good friends. Plus, Gilby here has offered to take us all to Skeepers to celebrate." Duncan leaned in close as Gilbert muttered indignantly over Duncan's nickname. "And if Britta gets drunk enough, I'm hoping to finally give her a good rogering," he whispered.

Jeff rolled his eyes. "Well good luck with that."

"If not, then I get sloshed." Duncan shrugged. "A win either way."

Just then the women came walking over and Jeff gave hugs to Shirley and Britta while Annie exchanged quick pleasantries with the rest of the group, minus the preoccupied Abed.

"So, what do you think, you two?" Shirley asked. "Up for a little victory slash welcome back celebration?"

Jeff winced slightly at the memory of the aftermath of the last victory celebration. But despite the exceptionally long trip and the jetlag, he was actually feeling pretty good since he'd managed to sleep about two thirds of the flight from Sydney to Los Angeles. "I am if Annie is."

Annie had retrieved her bag and slung it back over her shoulder as she bobbed her head in agreement. "I'm tired, but I could go out for a while as long as we don't stay out too late." Annie had a twinkle in her eye as she looked at Jeff. "We actually got _a lot_ of sleep on the flight to Los Angeles."

"Jeff slept on the plane?" Britta asked incredulously. "After the way he was carrying on before you left, I didn't that was possible."

"Oh, he was a big baby about it at first," Annie said with a smirk. "You just have to know how to get him relaxed is all."

Britta looked back and forth between Jeff and Annie suspiciously while Jeff shot Annie a glare. "Let's see if the rest of our bags are in," he said tersely as Annie smiled back at him innocently. They had agreed that they were going to tell the group about their relationship, Jeff just didn't want 'we had sex on the plane' to be the icebreaker for that conversation.

They collected the rest of their luggage from baggage claim and then split into groups to head over to Skeepers. Shirley specifically requested that Annie ride with her, so she loaded her things into Shirley's minivan before piling in along with Britta, Abed and Rachel. Faced with the choice of riding in either the Dean's or Duncan's compact car, Jeff opted instead to catch a ride in Gilbert's limousine.

Jeff and Gilbert were the first to arrive, followed quickly by Duncan, the Dean and Chang. After spending several uncomfortable minutes sandwiched between Chang and the Dean, during which Duncan was quite clearly only interested in the impending arrival of Britta, Jeff was starting to feel claustrophobic. He exhaled in relief when he saw Britta walking up with Abed and Rachel in tow, but the solemn looks on their faces gave Jeff a clue as to why they'd been delayed. When Shirley and Annie entered a few minutes later, Annie's red, puffy eyes confirmed his suspicions that she'd just learned about Shirley's upcoming move to Atlanta.

Shirley and Annie took the last empty chairs at the other end of the table from Jeff. After having been with her almost constantly for two weeks and directly next to her for almost the past twenty four hours, he would've thought that he'd be fine with a little space. But as Annie rubbed at her eyes and wiped her nose with a tissue, Jeff could feel his chest tightening. The conversation around the table grew progressively livelier, but it was all an incoherent buzz to Jeff. Annie was staring at her lap and had yet to say a word to anyone. She looked so heartbroken, he wanted nothing more than to leap over the table and wrap her in his arms.

Finally, he was able to catch her eye. "You ok?" he mouthed.

Annie's chin trembled slightly, then she pursed her lips and gave a quick nod. But Jeff could tell that she was just putting up a brave front. He held her gaze, trying to think of a way to succinctly mouth "It's killing me too, but I love you and I'm here for you." What Jeff didn't realize was that the look on his face had said all that and more. Annie's eyes softened and she gave him a tender smile before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She seemed to relax after that, and only then was Jeff able to do the same.

The gang had lots of questions for Jeff and Annie about their trip, and they each took turns describing the flight, the hotel, the city, Troy's adventures, their preparation for the trial, Jeff's food poisoning, their run-ins with Simmons, and finally, the trial itself. The conversation meandered between different points the way conversations do amongst large groups of people. Food and drink orders conspired with bathroom breaks to draw out the telling. Side conversations periodically sprouted up and chairs were swapped in order to be closer to certain discussions or plates of food. By the time they finished describing the end of the trial, Annie and Jeff had managed to find seats next to each other.

"It sounds like you actually beat him pretty easily," Rachel said.

"Way to kick his ass, Jeff!" Britta hooted.

More congratulations were echoed around the table. Abed, however, wore a look of disquiet. "That does sound easy. Too easy."

"What do you mean, Abed?" Britta asked. "Simmons deserved it."

"I'm just saying it sounds like lazy writing. A better story would've held the tension longer, made things look bleak for Troy right up until the end, until some dramatic event propelled Jeff to victory." Abed shrugged. "That's how I'd have done it, anyway."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Jeff said dryly.

"So what happened next?" Shirley asked eagerly.

"Ummm…" Annie said as the group looked at them expectantly. The two exchanged uncertain glances, then shrugged. Now was as good of a time as any.

"So, uh," Jeff began hesitantly, "we… have an announcement to make. Annie and I are-"

"Dating!" Annie cut in excitedly. "We're dating. He's my boyfriend. I have a boyfriend. It's Jeff." The words tumbled out of Annie at a rapid fire pace, and she was wearing the smile that she did when she was exceedingly proud of herself, but trying not to be too obvious about bragging.

Jeff eyed her curiously. "How long have you been holding that in?"

Annie gave him a pointed look. "Five years."

Jeff winced slightly and turned back to scan the faces around the table. Shirley was grinning and doing a pleased little clap and the Dean looked decidedly unhappy, but aside from that there was very little reaction. "Uh, did you hear us?"

"Yeah guys, aren't you happy for us?" Annie asked. "We're finally dating. I have a _boyfriend_."

Abed shrugged. "We know."

Jeff and Annie stared at each other for a moment, then turned back to the group. "How?" they asked in unison.

"Because, you goons," Britta said with a wry smile on her face, "all the articles about the trial had pictures of you two making out outside the courtroom."

Annie turned red and looked like she wanted to crawl under the table while Jeff cleared his throat and glanced around sheepishly. "Ah…"

"'Attorney wins big case, then gets bigger win' was one of the captions, I believe," Duncan said with a chortle.

"Oh God…" Annie buried her face in her hands.

"Don't sweat it, Annie," Britta reassured her. "Most of the articles referred to you as 'the hot mystery brunette.'"

Annie peeked above her hands at Britta. "Re… really?"

"Disgraceful journalism, if you ask me," Duncan said with affected seriousness. "Referring to Miss Edison in such a manner only enhances the objectification of all women." Duncan earned several groans in response, but his pontification had its desired effect on Britta, who was gazing at Duncan with stars in her eyes.

Jeff leaned over and whispered into Annie's ear. "Disgraceful journalism or not, they nailed the description." Annie blushed again, but this time couldn't keep a smile from her face.

Jeff (reluctantly) and Annie filled in some details related to the kiss at the end of the trial, (over which Shirley was practically squealing) followed by Annie's fainting, their celebrations with Troy and LeVar, the resumption the Troyage, and the rest of their (PG-rated) adventures in Australia. After they finished recounting their journey, the conversation began to drift to other topics: Abed and Rachel's upcoming trip to see the Inspector Spacetime set, the three-legged cat Britta had recently adopted, Chang's new hobby making various taxidermy animals, the twelve-step program Duncan was developing to help people recovering from self-help groups, the Dean's slam poetry performance, and expanded business ventures at Hawthorne Wipes. Somewhere along the way, Jeff slipped his arm around Annie, and she stretched her legs out then crossed them at the ankles and laid them over his. They stayed like that as the conversation swirled around them, talking and laughing along with everyone else. The only thing that struck Jeff as odd was just how _normal_ it felt. Eventually the topics turned to the approaching semester and Shirley's move to Atlanta.

"We should do something as a sendoff for Shirley!" Britta exclaimed.

"Oh, great idea, Britta!" the Dean effused as the others chattered enthusiastic agreement.

"Wait… really?" Britta asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," Abed chimed in, "and it should be something _Greendale_."

"Why would we do something Greendale? I thought we liked Shirley," Jeff snarked, then immediately flinched as Annie pinched his side.

"Did you have something in mind, Abed?" Shirley asked.

"Yes," Abed said with a gleam in his eye, "paintball!"

A chorus of "Oooh's" echoed around the table.

"It has been a while since we've had a game," Britta offered.

"Excellent idea, Abed," the Dean chimed in, "Jeffrey, why don't you and I get together to plan it out. It'll probably mean a few late nights, I can order dinner for us. Perhaps some wine…"

Jeff suppressed a shudder and pulled Annie a little closer to him. "There's nothing to plan. We're playing paintball, so just print some fliers and think of a prize."

"You guys!" Annie piped up. "We can't play paintball right before the semester starts, it'll disrupt the start of school." Everyone except Jeff gave Annie a hearty booing. "I'm serious!" Annie whined. "Why can't we just have a party or a themed dance? Greendale has more dances than paintball games, and it wouldn't destroy the school."

"We wouldn't destroy the school, Annie," Abed argued. "Most of the students won't be back from summer yet."

"Less damage that way," the Dean agreed.

Annie made one last appeal to reason. "_Every_ time we've played paintball it's gotten out of hand. Am I the only one that sees the pattern here?"

"Come on, Annie, don't be such buzzkill," Britta teased.

As the group continued discussing ideas for paintball, Jeff watched Annie's deepening scowl. The group seemed far too excited to back down on the idea of paintball, but Annie seemed dead set against it. Jeff was determined to redeem himself after his loss in the last paintball game, but he also didn't want Annie to be left out of Shirley's sendoff celebration. "Maybe we could do both," he blurted. The banter died down and everyone looked at Jeff. "I mean, why don't we have a paintball game in the gym, then a party in the cafeteria after? If there won't be that many students around, then the gym should be big enough and we won't tear the whole school apart."

"Geez, Winger," Chang taunted, "Edison's got you whipped already." Annie directed a death glare at Chang until he slid so far down in his chair that he fell off and landed on the floor with a thud. Once that was taken care of, she turned and gave Jeff an appreciative smile.

"I guess we could declare the cafeteria off limits for paintball," Abed conceded.

"And… limit it only to the gym?" Annie asked leadingly.

"I guess we could declare the cafeteria off limits for paintball," Abed said again. Jeff took one look at Annie's face and decided he was glad he'd be sleeping at his own place tonight.

"Fine," Annie huffed, "who wants to help me set up for the party?" The table fell silent and everyone stared at the table, avoiding eye contact with Annie. "Really you guys? What about you, Jeff?"

"Um, I sorta thought the idea to do both paintball and the party would be my contribution." He knew what was coming next. He knew it. But just because you knew a Michael Jordan crossover was coming didn't mean you could defend against it. The lip started quivering. The eyes started fluttering, but they never actually closed…

In a last act of desperation, Jeff gave her his best puppy dog eyes. For a moment Annie was so surprised that the Disney face disappeared. But it wasn't long before it returned in full force and Jeff and Annie were engaged in an epic sad-faced standoff.

"Oh my gosh, you guys, stop!" Britta pleaded. "Is this what you two dating is going to be like?"

"Yeah, I can't be around fluttering eyes like that," Chang said. "It triggers my epilepsy."

"Oh, let him off the hook, Annie," Rachel said as several horrified looks were directed at Chang. "I'll help you set up for the party."

"Oh, yay!" Annie squealed as Jeff breathed a small sigh of relief. He figured at least part of her satisfaction was due to the disappointed look on Abed's face. Nevertheless, Jeff filed away the rather surprising discovery that Annie Edison might actually be vulnerable his own version of the Disney face. _Look out, babe. Your boyfriend just learned how to fight fire with fire._

It was decided that the party and paintball game would be held on the last Saturday of August, which was four weeks away. It was the weekend before Shirley departed for Atlanta and the second-to-last weekend before the fall semester started.

The celebration went on for a while longer, until Jeff and Annie were having trouble keeping their eyes open. When they finally called it an evening, Jeff kissed Annie goodbye before catching a ride home from Gilbert. He didn't have the energy to unpack so he just piled his bags at the foot of his bed and rummaged through one for his toothbrush. After he'd brushed his teeth and changed into some loose fitting gym shorts, he flipped off the light and collapsed onto his bed. A wave of exhaustion washed over him and he settled in to sleep.

After about twenty minutes of tossing and turning, he sat up in bed and flicked the light back on. It wasn't until he caught himself staring at the empty spot next to him that he realized why he couldn't sleep. Jeff turned his head to look at his phone lying on the end table. He picked it up and opened his contact list, thumbing down to the entry for Annie. He typed out a quick text message, but he hesitated before hitting send.

_God, I'm such a wuss. Can't even go one night without… she's probably asleep now anyway…_

Jeff deleted the message and tossed his phone back on the end table. His eyes kept drifting back to it, though, so finally he got up and padded out to his living room. He dropped onto his couch and turned on the TV, flipping through channels until he settled on an old rerun of Apollo 13. He watched the movie in a zombie-like state, but he was still having trouble resisting the desire to return to his room to retrieve his phone. Eventually, he got up and made his way over to the kitchen, where he pulled out a glass and a bottle of Macallan scotch.

He was about to pour the drink when there was a soft knock on the door. He set down the bottle and strolled over to look through the peephole. Annie was standing on the other side, an uncertain look on her face. She looked to be carrying on an imaginary conversation with herself, and she quickly turned and started to walk away. Jeff undid the deadbolt and opened the door as fast as he could.

As the door swung open, Annie spun to face him. "Oh! Hi, I…" Jeff suppressed a smile as Annie's eyes drifted down and lingered on his bare chest. "Um… I'm sorry, I should've called first. I just thought you might already be asleep…"

"It's ok, I uh, was just forcing myself to stay up a little later. You know, to get adjusted back." Jeff opened the door the rest of the way and motioned for her to come in. She walked past him and he closed the door with a click. "So… what's up?"

Annie took her eyes off the TV and turned to look at Jeff. "It's silly, I just, um… couldn't sleep." She shrugged sheepishly. "What were you watching?"

"Oh, uh, Apollo 13."

"Do you mind if I watch with you?"

"Uh, sure, make yourself comfortable." Jeff went back to the kitchen and stashed the bottle of scotch and instead filled two glasses of water. He returned to the living room to find Annie perched on the center of the couch. He set the water down on the coffee table and settled into the corner next to her. He grabbed a blanket and spread it over the both of them as Annie leaned over and snuggled up against him.

They were asleep within minutes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jeff could hear the pounding of feet behind him as he sprinted down the hallway. There had been more of them than he thought there would be.

_Should have let Chang go. Why do I always have to be the-_

The telltale sound of CO2 canisters discharging came from behind him and Jeff ducked instinctively as something whizzed past his ear. Splotches of paint blossomed on the wall in front of him as he rounded the corner into the next hallway.

_Keep running 'till you feel something hit you. Annie was right about these things getting out of hand…_

Jeff banged on some lockers as her ran past, using the agreed upon signal to let the others know it was him. He risked a glance over his shoulder as he approached the end of the hall. Ten students, all dressed in those same weird dark gray jumpsuits and hats were hot on his heels. Jeff turned his head back and gave it one last burst of speed.

Jeff turned the corner into the last hallway and dropped to the floor, sliding feet first into a gap between two overturned tables. He rolled quickly over onto his stomach and pointed his gun back the way he'd come, just as the first of the students began to round the corner.

"Fire!" The order rang out behind him and Jeff joined in as a hail of paintballs began mowing down the onrushing band of students. When it was all over, Jeff crawled quickly over to where the hallways intersected and peered around the corner. The ten recently deceased students were walking away dejectedly, but it was otherwise empty. Jeff raised his hand to give the all clear and several forms began clambering out of the makeshift barricade they'd erected.

"Gather their guns and leftover ammo." Jeff turned to face the source of the order and found a hand extended to him. He clasped it and allowed himself to be helped to his feet. "Well done, soldier."

"Abed," Jeff sighed, "I told you. I'm not-"

"General Nadir!" A breathless voice sounded from behind them and they turned to see Todd scrambling over the barricade. He jogged the last few steps between them, then stopped and placed his hands on his knees, puffing out heavy breaths.

"Report."

"Sir," Todd straightened and gave a crisp salute, "There are two platoons headed this way from the south. They didn't see me, but it's a good bet they know that we're here."

"Damn." Abed chomped down on the unlit cigar he'd been rolling around his mouth all day, then saluted Todd and dismissed him. "Lieutenants!" he hollered, "Emergency counsel session in the maintenance closet! Everyone else prepare to fall back to Bravo sector!"

Jeff rolled his eyes and followed Abed towards the maintenance closet. "Abed, can we please drop the-"

"You're a damn fine soldier, Winger. And you just risked your life, so I'll forgive the lapse in decorum. _This time._"

Jeff grumbled to himself as he entered the cramped maintenance closet with Abed, followed closely by Shirley, Britta and Chang. Chang closed the door behind them before Abed spoke.

"Ok, I want you all to speak freely. We have two platoons headed this way. Not to mention the three squads and bands of stragglers we've already taken out. Most of the students weren't supposed to be back yet, so where are they all coming from?"

"Well, I think it's nice that so many people wanted to participate in my farewell paintball game!" Shirley cooed, then dropped her voice a few octaves, "Nice that I'll get to whup they ass one more time…"

"I saw more groups out the window, moving around the quad," Jeff added. "They're all wearing those same gray jumpsuits."

"I knew this would happen," Britta groused. "Sooner or later they'd find a way to stamp out individuality and we'd all be forced to-"

"AAUUUGGHHH BLAP!" Chang punctuated his interruption by snapping his head towards Britta, who recoiled and ducked behind Shirley.

"Sorry, Britta, I'm with Chang on this one," Shirley said as she stepped across the tiny room and stood next to Jeff.

"Can we focus here, please?" Jeff interjected.

"Jeff's right, we don't have a lot of time," Abed said quickly. "We need to figure out what's going on here, and we need to do it fast. Shirley, did the Dean say anything else to you after he announced the start of the game?"

Shirley thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, he just announced the prize, started the game and wished me luck."

"Dean for a day," Jeff scoffed. "Why would anyone want that prize?"

"And yet here you are competing," Britta snarked.

"Only because I want to make sure I don't have to report to someone as annoying as you for 24 hours."

"That's enough!" Shirley cut in before Britta could get in another jab. "Or I'll drag the both of you out of this room and put you out of your misery." Jeff and Britta glared at each other as Shirley continued, "Now did any of you hear those weird noises some of the kids were making? Like some sort of beeping?"

Abed arched an eyebrow. "You heard that too? I sometimes imagine all of you as machines, so I thought it was just in my head."

Britta tore her eyes away from Jeff and gave Abed a confused look. "Why do you imagine us as machines?"

"It makes you more relatable."

"Machines…" Chang said slowly, "Yeaaah, I heard some of them talking about that when I was out scouting. They're all dressing up and acting like machines."

Jeff fixed Chang with an impatient stare. "Why didn't you mention that when we started?"

"It didn't seem relevant until now."

Jeff rolled his eyes and groaned. "The whole _point_ of this conversation was to figure out what they were doing, and you already knew. What could have possibly been more relevant?"

"Tacos. No, spaghetti."

Jeff took a menacing step towards Chang, who let out a terrified squeak and ducked behind Britta while Abed and Shirley grabbed Jeff and tried to hold him back.

"Easy big guy, easy," Abed was saying as he struggled to stay between Jeff and Chang. Eventually Jeff gave up, leaned against the wall and brooded. Abed puffed out a relieved breath. "Ok… so we know what they're doing, but we don't know why. Or why they seem to be specifically coming after us. Chang, you didn't overhear anything about that did you?"

Chang's head popped up over Britta's shoulder. "Nope. Hey, I'm hungry. Are you guys hungry?"

"Great," Britta grumbled, "how are we going to find out what's going on?"

Abed snapped his fingers. "I have an idea. One of us needs to pretend to join them. Infiltrate their ranks, learn their secrets and then report back to us."

"But everyone on campus knows us, Abed," Britta pointed out. "They'd never believe that one of us was willing to betray the…" Britta paused and glanced over her shoulder at Chang, "others…"

Chang immediately brightened. "Oh! Yeah, send me! I can pretend to be a machine. I'm just like them. I feel no fear! I have no emotions!"

Abed nodded. "Exactly what I had in mind."

Chang wrapped his arms around Britta from behind. "I'm scared. What if they won't accept me?"

Abed stepped over to Chang and placed his hand lightly on Chang's forearm as Britta tried to squirm out of his grasp. "Hey, I believe in you."

Chang's lip immediately began quivering. "Abed… You have no-" his voice cracked and the rest of his words came out as a high pitched whine, "idea how much that means to me…"

Jeff rolled his eyes as Chang began sobbing into Britta's shoulder. "Yeah, you're a machine alright," he muttered.

Shirley and Abed eventually were able to coax Chang into releasing a rather disturbed Britta, who immediately bolted out the door. Shirley led the still sniffling Chang out after her, but as Abed moved to follow them, Jeff grabbed him by the shoulder.

"You know he's going to actually betray us, right?"

Abed glanced back at Jeff and gave him a knowing smile. "I'm counting on it."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Do you see anything?" Britta whispered into Jeff's ear.

"If you're going to get that close to me, why don't you just look yourself?" Jeff whispered back. He pulled back from the doorway and turned to face Britta and Shirley. "The hall's empty, but there's paint everywhere. Something big happened here."

"Should we go for it?" Britta asked. "We don't even know if the Dean is still in there."

"He's usually stayed near his office during the other games," Jeff pointed out. "But that doesn't mean he's still alive."

"But the Dean doesn't compete in these."

"No," Jeff allowed, "but he's still been killed in every single one."

"Alive or dead, we have to try," Shirley interjected. "He might be able to help us get to the bottom of this."

Jeff and Britta nodded grimly before creeping back to the doorway. Jeff peeked out again, then waved the others to follow him after he was sure it was still clear. The trio moved down the hallway slowly, pausing at each doorway to sweep the room behind for potential ambushes. After what felt like an eternity, Jeff finally found himself at one of the doors that led into the Dean's office. He cautiously grasped the door knob, turned it slowly, and then pushed the door open. Two paintballs immediately flew past him and splattered against the far wall. If Jeff hadn't stayed to the side as he opened the door, they would've struck him directly in the chest.

"Just leave me alone!" a frantic voice screeched from inside the office. "I don't want to shoot you, but I will if I have to! Just look what happened to all your friends!"

"Dean, it's me," Jeff called around the corner. "Don't shoot."

"Jeffrey?!" The sound of papers rustling and boxes sliding emerged from the doorway, followed by a frightened yelp and a loud crash. "Um, you can come in!"

Jeff slipped into the Dean's office followed by Shirley and Britta. Boxes of papers were stacked almost to the ceiling in a makeshift fort around the Dean's desk. One of the stacks had collapsed in the Dean's attempt to move it, which had caused the ruckus immediately preceding their entry. Like the hallway outside, paint was splattered everywhere.

Jeff rounded the Dean's desk fort to find Craig Pelton dressed in his usual white short sleeved button down shirt and set of slacks. His tie, however, was wrapped around his head in an ersatz bandana and he'd painted his face with black, green and brown camouflage makeup. He also had an impressive little arsenal of paintballs stashed with him.

"Oh, thank God, Jeffrey, I knew that you'd come save- oh! Hello Shirley, I'm so glad that you- Ugh, Britta…"

"Dean," Jeff began, "what happened here? And why are you wearing makeup? You know camouflage only works if it blends in with your surroundings and if it covers your whole body."

"Well, who says it doesn't?" The Dean asked suggestively.

Jeff suppressed a shudder. Not for the first time that day, he wished that Annie was with him. "You don't put clothes on over- you know what? Forget it. What happened here?"

"A bunch of students came and tried to capture me. I told them I wasn't playing, but they didn't care. So I gave their clothing a little re-dean-oration." The Dean beamed with pride at his handiwork.

"But why did a bunch of students want to capture you?" Shirley asked.

"And were they wearing those gray jumpsuits like all the others?" Britta chimed in.

The Dean glanced around furtively. "Yes, they were all wearing the jumpsuits." He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "It was Borchert. He sent them after me."

"Borchert? He's the one behind all this?" Jeff asked.

"That would explain why all the students are dressing like machines," Britta mused.

Jeff eyed the Dean quizzically. "But why? And how is he getting them all to go along with this?"

"He's paying them." The Dean sighed heavily. "They all get five hundred dollars apiece if Borchert wins the game. It's the _prize_. He wants the _prize_."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Jeff insisted. "Why shell out that kind of money to get to be dean of this toi-" Jeff caught himself, then cleared his throat and continued. "What I mean is, Borchert's already vice-dean. And the prize would only let him be dean for twenty four hours. Hell, for five hundred bucks, I'm tempted to-"

"You don't understand, Jeffrey!" the Dean said desperately. "I've… I've made a horrible mistake." The Dean's face crumpled and he turned away and began repeatedly mumbling "Bad Dean… Stupid Dean…"

"No argument here," Jeff deadpanned. "But could you humor us for a moment and explain why? You know, besides the obvious stuff."

The Dean spun and grabbed Jeff by the shirt. "You have to help me! Borchert can't win this game, it would be a disaster! Please Jeffrey, don't make me beg." He paused for a moment as if something had occurred to him. "Or… If you're into that, I could-"

"Alright, enough!" Jeff freed himself from the Dean's grasp and folded his arms across his chest. "You still haven't explained what's going on here. Did you put the school in danger again somehow? You can't expect us to pass up five hundred bucks each without telling us why it's so important." Shirley and Britta moved to flank Jeff and stared impatiently at the Dean.

The Dean gave them a defiant glare, but soon withered under the scrutiny of the trio. He hung his head in defeat. "It's just that I… I never read all of the Greendale bylaws, ok? After the board chose Subway over Shirley's Sandwiches, I really tried. They're just… so boring!" The Dean's voice had taken on its customary whiny tone. "And I get so sleepy when I try to read in my office, it gets really warm in here and they _still_ haven't fixed that carbon monoxide leak-"

"Dean!" Shirley, Britta and Jeff shouted in unison.

The Dean froze, a chastened look on his face. "I'm sorry… It's just that Borchert… All he does is read. Read and fiddle with those computers. He found something in the Greendale bylaws that says if he's the dean-"

Jeff heard a quick, staccato popping noise and the Dean gasped in surprise. He turned slowly and Jeff saw red paint spreading across the Dean's back. "Britta! Shirley! The door!"

Britta and Shirley spun and began firing around the edge of the Dean's stronghold while Jeff lunged forward and fired blindly through the gap created by the downed stack of boxes. As Britta and Shirley continued firing, Jeff peeked around the boxes in time to see a shadowy figure whirl and disappear down the hallway.

"Keep watch on the door!" Jeff hollered. The Dean had sunk down to the floor and Jeff knelt at his side. "Dean, are you ok?"

"So c… c… cold…" The Dean's expression went slack and his eyes stared into the distance. "Hold me, Jeffrey," he whispered.

"Dean, you know you aren't actually dying. You're just out of the game. You can still tell us what's-"

"Jeff!" Britta yelled at she and Shirley began firing again. An explosion of gunfire sounded from the hallway, forcing the women to take cover. Jeff popped up above the desk and fired quickly into the hallway. He was gratified to see his shots strike two gray-clad students before he had to drop back under cover. The hallway was teeming with enemies.

"Rush them!" Someone in the hallway yelled. Jeff knew it wouldn't take long for them to be overrun if too many of the students made it into the Dean's office. They had to hold them at the door. Fortunately, Britta and Shirley had the same thought. They each peeked out of cover and began picking off students as they came through the door single file. After five of them had been taken out, the remaining students fell back and changed tactics, opting instead to stay behind their own cover and fire into the office. For the time being it was a stalemate, but there were only three of them against a legion of students in the hallway. All it would take was one mistake or one lucky shot, and they'd be finished.

Jeff grabbed a few bags of paintballs from the Dean's stash and tossed them over to Britta and Shirley, then hurriedly reloaded his own gun. He was just about to begin firing into the hallway again when he heard a familiar voice.

"Heeeyyy, Winger! How are ya? Things don't look too good for you from where I am."

"Chang?!" Jeff exclaimed. "Dammit, I _knew_ you'd betray us!"

"I didn't betray you!" Chang screeched. "I just decided to join the winning side, instead of pretending and staying with you losers in loserville."

"You literally just described betrayal!" Shirley yelled.

"Shut up!" Chang shrieked. "These guys are better friends to me than you ever were. With all your judging and exclusion. These people looked deep into my soul and offered me five hundred bucks for my allegiance. They _get_ me."

"Call yourself a mercenary if you want, you're still a traitor!" Britta shouted.

"Your words mean nothing to me. Your little group is finished. Borchert's legions will soon take over the school. Resistance is futile, and all that. They're busy wiping out Abed's forces as we speak." Jeff allowed himself a grim smile. Abed wouldn't be taken out so easily. "Borchert wants the girl though. Give her up, and we'll make your deaths slightly less painful."

Jeff glanced over at Shirley and Britta. The confusion on their faces mirrored his own. "What girl? Britta?"

"Don't play dumb, Winger! No one wants Britta!"

"Hey!" Britta yelled as Shirley patted her reassuringly.

"I'm talking about your little girlfriend, Edison! Hand her over!"

"Annie?" Jeff confusion only increased. "She's not playing. You _know_ that."

Chang let out a maniacal laugh. "_Everyone's_ playing, Winger! The stakes are too high! I'm not an idiot, I know you don't go anywhere without her anymore."

Jeff peeked out of cover and immediately ducked down again as paintballs began flying at him. "Chang, you've been with me almost the entire day. At what point did you see Annie with me? She isn't here." Jeff glanced around desperately for an escape. If only they could reach… _That's it!_

Chang laughed again. "You think I don't know about your little plan? See, I _knew_ that you knew I'd betray you. I know that Abed fed me false information to bring to Borchert." Jeff froze, panic gripping him. _Abed…_ "And as soon as Borchert told me his plan, I knew what you were up to. See, Edison has the last bit of information he needs. She's the only one that can stop him. So you guys set up an elaborate ruse so that we wouldn't look for her!"

Jeff let out a sigh of relief. The actual plan hadn't been anywhere near that complicated. They'd simply told Chang where they'd be moving their forces and then set up an ambush instead. If he thought the false information had to do with Annie, then maybe Abed's group was still ok. Jeff waved Shirley and Britta over. It was time to leave. He mimed instructions to them, and they nodded in enthusiastic agreement. He just needed to keep Chang talking for a few more seconds.

"Umm, dammit, how did you know?" Chang cackled in response. "Uh, since we're about to die anyway, why don't you tell us what information Borchert needs from Annie?" Jeff, Shirley and Britta loaded up as many paintballs as they could carry and positioned themselves behind the Dean's desk.

"I'm not falling for that!" Chang yelped. "Besides, if we knew what it was, we wouldn't need her, would we? It's something about a paper she wrote for one of Mrs. Plimpton's classes."

Jeff huffed in disbelief. Part of him wanted to stick around just to see how much more information Chang would give away, but they had to get moving. Just because Chang was here didn't mean that Borchert hadn't sent others out looking for Annie. He nodded to Shirley and Britta, and the three of them began pushing the Dean's desk forward, using it for cover until they reached the side door to the Dean's office. They had no way of knowing if his secretary's office would be empty, but it was better than what awaited them in the hallway.

Paintballs slammed into the desk as Jeff opened the side door and Britta darted out of the room in a low crouch, followed quickly by Shirley. Jeff glanced back at where the Dean lay motionless on the floor, then followed them. "After them!" he heard Chang scream behind him. The side office was mercifully empty, and they took the door into the hallway opposite from where Chang's forces were. They ran down the hallway and turned the corner into another one just as gray clad students began boiling out of the Dean's office behind them.

Jeff paused at the corner and fired back towards the Dean's office before sprinting after Shirley and Britta. He thought he had hit someone, but didn't dare take the time to find out. The trio burst into a stairwell and ascended the steps to the next floor, then continued cutting into different hallways in an attempt to shake their pursuers. But each time they thought they were about to lose them, one of Chang's soldiers would appear from the area they had just vacated and shout to the others. After several minutes of running, they were all breathing hard.

"This is too much," Shirley puffed as they approached another stairwell. Jeff and Britta skidded to a halt and turned back. "You two go on ahead, I'll hold them here."

"Shirley, no, that's suicide!" Britta protested.

"Britta, if I have to run anymore, I'm going to die for real. The good lord gave me infinite patience, not infinite stamina." A determined look came over her and she smiled. "Now get out of here. Someone needs to tell Abed what's going on and find Annie."

Jeff and Britta grumbled agreement and Britta exchanged a quick hug with Shirley before turning back towards the staircase.

"Jeffrey?"

Jeff looked over his shoulder at Shirley. He didn't think he'd ever seen her look more serious.

"You look after my pumpkin for me, now. If I hear she fell into Borchert's hands, you and I are going to have a little talk."

Jeff and Shirley traded grim nods and returned to their respective duties. As he and Britta raced down the stairs, he heard Shirley begin firing.

"I…"

*pop*

"Told you…"

*pop*

"Kids…"

*pop*

"Not to…"

*pop*

"Shoot these things…"

*pop*

"Indoors!"

*pop* *pop* *pop* *pop*

The last Jeff heard from Shirley Bennett, she was laughing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jeff surveyed the ragged band of assembled troops Abed had with him. There were fewer of them than the last time he'd seen them. Those that were left looked exhausted and discouraged, but at least they didn't have any paint on them. Jeff glanced over at Abed in time to see Star Burns snap a sloppy salute and shuffle off somewhere with Garrett in tow. Abed waved him over and Jeff approached his friend. Since this was _not_ an army and he was _not_ a soldier, Jeff refused to salute.

"Wingman, glad to have you back." Abed had apparently taken to adopting nicknames for everyone in his crew. For some reason, the name he'd chosen for Jeff seemed familiar. "Where are Two-Voice and Hipster Barbie?"

"General Nadir," Jeff said flatly. "We got attacked by Chang and a whole gang of students at the Dean's office. Shirley stayed behind to hold them back while Britta and I escaped. We were on our way back here when we ran into a patrol of students. We split up to ambush them, but then a whole bunch more came along, so we had to sneak away. They were in between us though, so we couldn't link back up. Hopefully she'll turn up."

"I see," Abed said grimly. "Any hope for Two-Voice?"

Jeff shook his head. "I don't think so. There were too many of them."

Abed closed his eyes and mouthed a few silent words. "She was a fine soldier. She will be missed. But we have no time for grief. Chang turned, as you evidently know. But the good news is that our plan worked." Abed pointed to a map of the campus that was laid out on the table next to him. "They came for us here in the gymnasium. Over a hundred of them. We erected barricades here and here, to funnel them down this corridor. Once they were all in the gauntlet, we sprung the trap." Abed shuddered slightly. "It was a massacre. Whoever is leading them doesn't have much knowledge of military tactics."

Jeff nodded in the direction of their assembled band. "So, why does everyone look so glum?"

Abed pulled a fresh cigar out of a box and bit down on it. "They just seem to have an endless supply of troops. We've won every battle, but we're losing the war. Attrition is really taking its toll."

Jeff put his arm around Abed's shoulder and pulled him close. "We're going to lose a lot more if word gets out about what's going on," Jeff whispered. "Borchert is leading the students, and he's paying them all five hundred bucks a pop if he wins the game."

Abed's eyes widened. "Do you mind if I break character for a second?"

"I wish you would."

"The whole army bit is fun and all, but with that kind of money I could buy that new camera lens I've been wanting, or a full size replica of the House Vagadosh family sword…" Abed trailed off, imagining all the things he could do with five hundred dollars.

"As much as I'd love to risk disembowelment every time I visit Annie, there's more going on here." Abed snapped out of his reverie and arched and eyebrow at Jeff. "Before Chang showed up, the Dean was begging us to stop Borchert from winning. But someone shot him before he had a chance to tell us why. All he said was that he'd made a horrible mistake and that Borchert winning would be a disaster."

Abed crinkled his forehead in thought. "Hmm, I'm not sure what Borchert could really gain out of being dean for a day, but it must be important if he's willing to put so much money into it."

Jeff nodded. "Agreed. But there's more. Chang was looking for Annie. He said Borchert wanted her. Something about some paper she wrote for one of Mrs. Plimpton's classes."

"That teacher that died last year?" Jeff nodded again and Abed paused for a moment. "Annie took three of her classes: Legal Aspects of Health Administration, Public Power Structures and Fashion for the Nerdy Girl."

Jeff rolled his eyes at the last one. "Of course. For a second I almost thought this was a real school. Wait," Jeff furrowed his brow at Abed, "how do you know all the classes she took?"

"I memorized all your schedules in case of an emergency," Abed said matter-of-factly. "I had to know where you all were to complete my contingency plans. If there had been an alien invasion or attack of a sixty foot monster, you would've thanked me."

Jeff gave Abed a flat stare. "I can't tell you how much that means to me. Literally. I can't."

Abed carried on, oblivious to Jeff's sarcasm. "Legal Aspects she took while you were in Can I Fry That, and Power Structures was at the same time as your symposium on tanning beds versus spray tan. The fashion class was the semester after you graduated."

"That's fascinating, Abed, but it doesn't help us right now." Jeff gestured towards the west end of campus. "I'm going to go find Annie and make sure she's ok. This was on my way, so I wanted to let you know what we'd found out. Maybe she'll know why Borchert is after her. Until we know for sure what he's up to, let's keep up the army bit."

"Actually Jeff, this isn't like a regular army movie anymore. It's becoming more like either The Saint or The Terminator. Personally, I'd prefer The Terminator, because that puts me in the role of John Connor, leading the human resistance against the machines." Abed thought for a moment, then nodded, his mind made up. "Jeff, I'm going to need you to go find Annie."

"I just said I was going to do that."

Abed pulled his wallet out of his pocket and fished out a stack of small rectangular objects. He sorted through them for a moment before pulling one out and handing it to Jeff. "This is who you're looking for. Protect her at all costs."

Jeff flipped the rectangle over. It was a picture of Annie sitting in a Jeep and gazing into the distance. "What the… This looks like the actual picture from The Terminator."

"Yeah, Annie and I took a bunch of these in case we were ever in a situation like this. I also have her as Katniss Everdeen, Arwen Undómiel, Trinity, Neytiri and Snow White." Abed grimaced. "Annie insisted on the last one."

Jeff blinked at Abed. "Of course you guys did that," he said with a shake of his head.

"Find Annie," Abed said earnestly, "and keep her safe. The fate of the resistance rests on her." Abed looked positively giddy as he tossed his cigar away. "This is going to be so much cooler than being an army general."

_At least someone is enjoying himself._

Jeff started towards the cafeteria, where Annie and Rachel had been setting up for Shirley's party, but Abed called after him. "Oh Jeff, one more thing," Jeff turned. "Since we're doing Terminator now, that means that you and Annie are my future parents in the past."

"… Great."

Abed jogged over to where the remainder of his forces were resting and jumped up on a large rock.

"Everybody listen up!" Tired heads swiveled lethargically towards Abed. "If you can hear me, then you are the resistance. We've learned that Vice Dean Borchert is the one leading our enemies and that he's offering a reward to any that will join him." An excited murmur ran through the crowd. "But don't be fooled. He's trying to take over the school and turn us all into machines that blindly follow his orders. You've seen our enemy. You've seen them sacrifice ten of their own to take out one of ours. Members of the resistance, I ask you: is this what you want to become? Cold, calculating automatons without independent thought or feeling? I say NO!" Excitement over a proffered reward had given way to ripples of agreement. "We will not give in to this soulless tyrant. Today we fight! We fight against the machines that would take from us everything we love about our school. We fight for the right to keep Greendale weird. We fight for the right to remain **HUMAN BEINGS!**"

Jeff felt strangely proud as he listened to Abed give his speech. When it was over, he jogged over to the edge of the administration building the camp was near and scanned around the corner. Satisfied that the coast was clear, he set off on his mission to find and protect Annie as the sound of cheering echoed behind him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	16. Chapter 16

Annie could hear the distant popping noise of paintball guns being fired as she rummaged around in the trunk of her car for more decorating supplies. It was now late-afternoon and the game had been going on since the early morning. _Nine hours! I said this would get out of hand, but did anyone listen to me? Nooooooo, of course not. "Most students won't be back, Annie." "Don't be a buzzkill, Annie." They better not come crawling to me to clean up their- ooh! There they are._ Annie grabbed the package of puffy glitter paint she'd been searching for and closed her trunk. She paused to pick up the extra poster board she and Rachel needed to finish the wall decorations, then headed back towards the cafeteria building. The theme they'd been using to decorate had mainly been puns on the name Shirley: "We will Shirley miss you!" "Shirley the best!" and "We Shirley hope you'll be back."

Annie was glad to have Rachel for company. She realized she had hardly spent any time alone with her, and the two women had quickly bonded over their shared love of silly puns. They'd also spent a good deal of time dishing about their respective relationships. Annie was surprised to discover that Rachel had many of the same frustrations in regards to Abed that she was finding with Jeff. Both were stubborn, had issues with communication (rather than talk, Abed would bury himself in TV or movies and Jeff his phone), both could be immature, and both were emotionally unavailable to varying degrees (though Annie thought Jeff was actually making some progress on the last one). Yet, despite their many flaws, Annie loved her big lug, and Rachel loved her skinny one.

As Annie approached the entrance to the cafeteria building, the sound of approaching footfalls made her ears prickle. It sounded like someone was running. Annie ducked behind one of the tall bushes and peeked around to see who was coming. She wasn't playing, but whoever it was might decide to shoot first and ask questions later. The footfalls grew progressively louder until finally someone came around the far corner of the building at a full sprint. Annie didn't recognize the student, but they were wearing a rather strange gray body suit and a gray baseball cap. Three quick pops sounded from where the student had emerged and Annie saw him pitch forward and fall, rolling several times before finally coming to a stop. The student sat up and groaned, then felt his back. When he saw the paint on his hands, he slowly picked himself up off the concrete and trudged away.

Annie glanced down at the ground where the student's gun lay about ten feet from her. He had dropped it when he fell, and it had skidded towards her hiding spot. Playing or not, it never hurt to be prepared. Annie darted out from behind the bush, snapped up the gun and tucked it into her jeans behind her back, then quickly retreated towards the sanctuary of the cafeteria. As she neared the door, she heard slight rustling noise behind her. She spun and put her back to the door, scanning around for the source of the noise, but didn't see anything.

"Hello?" she said nervously. "Whoever's there, I'm not part of the game. And the cafeteria is off limits, so just leave me alone." Annie's eyes swept around a few more times, but she didn't detect any movement. She turned hurriedly back to the door and pulled out the keys the Dean had given her. In order to ensure the cafeteria remained off limits, they had locked it down and given Annie and Rachel keys to use. Annie fumbled around for a moment to get the key into the lock, but just as she began turning it, a hand clamped down on her shoulder. Annie gasped in surprise as the hand pulled on her and spun her around. She was about to scream when another hand clamped over her mouth. The hand on her shoulder came away and moved to a pair of lips, the index finger raised in a shushing gesture. Annie's eyes drifted upwards and finally focused on the face of her assailant.

It was Jeff.

Annie's momentary alarm quickly faded into annoyance and she shook herself loose from Jeff's grasp. "Jeff! What are you doing here?" she hissed. "You scared me!"

"Shh! Let's get inside," Jeff said quietly but insistently. "There were a bunch more of them on the other side of the building."

"Them who?" Annie turned back to the door and opened it carefully. Jeff didn't answer and kept an anxious lookout until they were safely inside. As the door closed behind them and the lock clicked into place, Jeff finally seemed to relax slightly.

"The machines…" Jeff mumbled as he peered back out through the glass door. "I thought someone was following me, but then I stumbled onto that scouting party and had to take them out. The one got away from me… briefly."

"Machines? What are you talking about?"

"Borchert is leading a group of students, actually, most of the students, in the paintball game. We call them the machines. Did you see the getup that student I shot was wearing?" Annie nodded. "That's the uniform they all wear. Some of them are actually acting like they're robots or something. Not sure if Borchert told them to do that or if they're just screwing around."

"Ok, that's… weird. But why are you here? The cafeteria is off limits for the paintball game."

Jeff directed his gaze over Annie's shoulder and down the hall. "Is Rachel here? I'd rather not have to explain this twice."

Annie nodded. "She's in the cafeteria working on more decorations." They started towards the cafeteria, but Annie's curiosity wouldn't allow her to remain silent. "I hope you've got a good reason for being here," she prodded. "You could be disqualified. It's against the rules to-"

The sound of glass shattering reverberated down the hall from the direction of the cafeteria. Jeff and Annie tensed and instinctively pressed themselves up against the wall. Jeff had his gun at the ready and began creeping towards the double doors that led into the dining area. Annie felt the itching need to reach for the gun at her back, but forced herself to resist. _Rachel probably just dropped something. Yeah. I mean, there's no reason for-_

A scream sounded from up ahead, and Jeff and Annie moved with increased urgency. Only one of the double doors leading into the cafeteria was propped open, so they snuck up to the closed one and used it as cover. Annie could hear voices emerging from the cafeteria, but it wasn't until she was settled in place that she could start to understand what was being said.

"-said to let me go!" Rachel's voice was tinged with fear, but mostly she sounded angry. "This area is off limits, and I'm not part of this game."

"Everyone's part of this game, sweetie," a gravelly voice that sounded vaguely familiar replied. "Borchert wants a word with you, so you'll come along. It's up to you if the trip is easy," the voice dropped menacingly, "or hard."

"I already told you. I'm not Annie." Jeff inched close to the door and peeked around ever so slightly.

"Well, now that's funny." The gravelly voice apparently came with a gravelly chuckle as well. "Borchert see, he tells me he wants a talk with a cute little brunette that's supposed to be over in the cafeteria. And here I come to the cafeteria, and find a cute little brunette who tells me she's not the one I'm looking for, but can't prove it." Another smug chuckle wafted through the door. "Awfully convenient, don't you think?"

"Like I said, my purse is-"

"In Annie's car, yeah yeah. Sorry sweetie. I've got my orders. Borchert says to round up the girl in the cafeteria. You just so happen to be the girl in the cafeteria. So I guess that means you're coming with us."

Annie had heard enough. She didn't know what was going on, but it was time to end it. Whoever was in the cafeteria had no right to kidnap anyone, and Annie certainly wasn't about to let Rachel take her place. She started moving towards the open door, but before she could reach it, Jeff's arms clamped around her from behind.

"_What are you doing?_" he hissed in a low voice.

"I'm putting a stop to this!" she hissed back.

"Like hell you are." Jeff clapped a hand over her mouth again and pulled her back against the wall while Annie struggled ineffectually against his grip. Geez he was strong. Conversation continued to emanate from the cafeteria, but Annie's struggles with Jeff kept her from making any of it out. It was easily apparent that she couldn't force her way free from Jeff's grasp, so instead she resorted to an old childhood trick.

Annie stuck her tongue out and licked Jeff's palm. His hand jerked back reflexively, loosening his grip with his other arm in the process. Annie applied all the leverage she could and for an instant she was free and moving towards the door again. Jeff recovered quickly though, and before she knew it her back was pressed against the wall and his hand was over her mouth again. His face was inches away from hers and he shook his head slightly. "Don't do that," he whispered.

Annie's eyes stared back defiantly over Jeff's hand, and she immediately began licking his palm again. This time Jeff was prepared and didn't flinch. "I said stop that." His hand had a metallic taste to it and he clearly hadn't washed them in a while, but Annie was already committed and kept right on going. "Stop." As Jeff repeated his demands for her to stop and Annie continued to ignore them, his eyes made subtle shifts from annoyed to determined, and then from determined to amused. It wasn't long before both of them were giggling quietly at the sheer absurdity of the situation.

"You leave me no choice then," Jeff whispered amidst another chortle. His hand moved away from her lips and was immediately replaced by his own. Annie's mouth opened to allow his tongue inside, and all thoughts of rescuing Rachel were temporarily forgotten. Jeff's arms quickly shifted from restraining to cradling, and hers slithered around him and she began caressing the back of his head. In the month that they'd been dating, Jeff and Annie had done a lot of kissing. But somehow despite her added experience with it, kissing Jeff still made Annie feel like love-struck teenager. Not that she minded, though. In fact, losing herself in one of Jeff's kisses had become her new favorite hobby.

When they finally broke apart, Jeff turned back to peek around the door, leaving a wobbly Annie panting breathlessly against the wall. The cafeteria had gone silent, and Jeff motioned for her to stay where she was before creeping through the door to investigate further. A few moments later she heard him call out that the coast was clear.

Annie followed him into the now empty cafeteria. Her eyes lingered on a few half-finished posters that Rachel had been working on, her art supplies unceremoniously strewn about by whoever had come and taken her away. Annie tore her eyes away from last vestiges of Rachel's presence and made her way over to where Jeff was standing next to the vending machines in the lounge. He was inspecting the door, which still remained firmly closed and locked, however, the pane of glass had been smashed out with a trash can. Shards of glass were strewn across the floor of the lounge and the concrete outside.

"This is destruction of school property…" Annie mumbled in disbelief. "The cafeteria was supposed to be off limits," she insisted. "Coming in here is against the-"

"Rules?" Jeff finished for her. "I think they just changed the rules."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I think it's time you told me what's going on."

Jeff looked up from the glass covering the floor and nodded. "Ok, but we can't stay here long. Whoever took Rachel might not know you, but Borchert does. They'll be back." Jeff started towards the dining area and motioned for Annie to follow. "But as long as we're here, I want to grab something to eat. We don't exactly get lunch breaks during these things." They walked over to Shirley's Sandwiches, and Jeff began recounting the events of the day while putting together a turkey sub. When he finished, he cut it down the middle and handed one half to Annie.

"The Dean begged us to stop Borchert from winning, but he got shot and then Chang showed up with an army before he could tell us why." Jeff related the information Chang had revealed and then described their escape and Shirley's subsequent sacrifice. By the time he'd finished, Annie's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. "Abed and I were hoping that you'd have some idea why they're after you. If we figure that out, then maybe we can figure out what Borchert is up to."

Annie frowned in concentration. "A paper I wrote for one of Mrs. Plimpton's classes?"

Jeff nodded as he swallowed a bite of his sub. "And the Dean mentioned Borchert finding something in the Greendale bylaws that he-" Annie's face had gone white. "What is it?"

"I might know what he's after." Jeff arched an eyebrow and waited for her to elaborate. "We had to do projects analyzing a number of public organizations as part of my Public Power Structures class. For one of them, I picked Greendale as my topic. I already knew a lot about Greendale, but thought it would be fun to learn more."

Jeff eyed her with amusement. "Did Annie Edison pick a blowoff topic for one of her projects?"

Annie planted one hand on her hip and gave an indignant huff. "It wasn't a blowoff topic, Jeff. I did a lot of research into the history of Greendale and its deans. Including major amendments to the school's bylaws." Annie paused to take a bite of her sub, a pensive look crossing her face as she chewed slowly. When she resumed, her tone had shifted from indignant to lecturing. "Ok, so as you know, after Borchert disappeared, the city bought the campus and converted Greendale into a community college. But after the school's first dean resigned under allegations of corruption, there was an effort to turn Greendale into a trade school. Two main factions emerged, the group that wanted to change the school were known as the Trade Federation, and the group that wanted to keep it a community college were called the Communists."

"How very Greendale," Jeff said dryly. "Has this place always been nuts?"

Annie ignored Jeff's interruption and continued with her recounting. "There were years of political infighting where no dean lasted more than a few months on the job and the school board was in constant disarray. The two factions were locked in a struggle for power, and each time one gained the upper hand, they'd undo changes the other had made. It happened so frequently that a series of bylaws were enacted that expedited the process. Among them were provisions for reverting to earlier versions of the bylaws and for making changes without board intervention." Annie paused to let the significance of what she said sink in. "The back and forth got so bad that students basically had to change majors every semester and eventually enrollment dropped to dangerously low levels. It wasn't until1984 that a strong dean finally took over and put an end to the conflict. Otto Von Grünestal, whose personal motto was 'blood and iron.'"

Jeff arched an eyebrow at Annie. "Blood and iron? Did they fight a war or something?"

"War?" Annie tilted her head in puzzlement. "No, he suffered from anemia."

Jeff rolled his eyes. "Right. How silly of me."

Annie shrugged. "Von Grünestal was finally able to bring stability to the school. He was a communist, so he kept Greendale as a community college, but he also made concessions to the Trade Federation, and that's how the A/C repair annex was founded. He served as dean for over twenty years, until he died in 2006. And that's when a certain Craig Pelton was hired to take over."

"What about those bylaws you mentioned? What sort of changes did they allow someone to make?"

Annie directed a serious look at Jeff. "Anything from changing the school mission and curriculum to replacing the dean." Annie nodded as Jeff whistled in amazement. "Von Grünestal removed all of those bylaws during his tenure, but the one for reverting to earlier versions of the bylaws is still in effect! In order to trigger the bylaw, you need the approval of the dean and one of the two vice deans. And if Borchert wins this game, for twenty four hours he'll be both! He could install himself as dean permanently and turn Greendale back into a computer school!"

Jeff remained silent for several moments while he digested what Annie had just told him. "Damn, I really wanted that $500," he said at last. Annie's face bore a look of slight relief, as though she wasn't entirely sure which side Jeff would choose. "One thing I don't understand though, if Borchert already knows all that, then why does he need you?"

"Because," Annie sighed, "in order to revert to the old bylaws, you have to have them. They didn't have digital records in the early eighties, and I found the last remaining copy in the Greendale archives as part of my research. Have you ever seen the archives?"

Jeff gave her a flat stare. "What do you think?"

Annie giggled in spite of herself, "It's basically a giant basement full of endless and unsorted boxes of paper. They'd never be able to find them before Borchert's twenty four hours were up. And now that Mrs. Plimpton is dead, I'm the only one that knows where they are."

Jeff eyed Annie curiously. "Do I even want to know how much time you spent finding those?" Annie blushed and stared at her feet, causing Jeff to smirk in amusement. "Never mind. It sounds like we have two ways of stopping Borchert. Win the game, or destroy the last copy of those bylaws. I don't like leaving things to chance, so I say we do both."

"Alright," Annie agreed. "The archives are over in the administration building."

Jeff frowned. "I was just over there. A lot of enemies between here and there, so make sure you stay close. I'm responsible for keeping you safe."

Annie rolled her eyes and fell in beside Jeff as they headed towards the exit. They were about half way across the cafeteria when the sound of broken glass crunching underneath boots pierced Jeff's ears. He looked up just in time to see Chang approaching, his Bengal tiger-colored automatic paintball gun in his hands and already pointed towards him and Annie. In one panicked motion, Jeff reached out and gave Annie a sharp shove to the side as he dove the other direction behind one of the cafeteria tables. Paintballs began flying overhead and splattering against tables as Chang sprayed fire around indiscriminately.

"Konichiwa, bitches!" Chang shouted triumphantly when he finally took a break from redecorating the cafeteria. "I knew you'd lead me to Edison eventually, Winger. After Shirley held up most of my forces, I snuck around a different way and followed you. And now my cunning has finally paid off!"

Jeff reached for his gun that he'd stashed in the waistline of his jeans, but his fingers grasped only air. Panic surged through him and he glanced around franticly until he saw it lying on the floor just past the next row of tables. He must have knocked it away during his desperate dive for cover. Jeff cursed silently to himself and tried to formulate a quick plan to retrieve it. The first step meant keeping Chang busy.

"Chang, you were there when we planned this whole thing. You knew Annie was going to be here setting up for the party." Jeff readied himself to make a dive towards the next row of tables, but Chang had positioned himself at the end of the row Jeff was hiding behind and began coating the aisle with paint.

"I knew you knew that I was there," Chang shouted over the noise of his gun, "so I knew that you would plan that into your master plan. Very clever of you to know that I knew that you would know that you would plan that into your plan and plan for that!"

Jeff shook his head to dispel the momentary disorientation that came from trying to follow Chang's circular reasoning. He grabbed ahold of the table he was hidden behind and prepared to use it as a mobile shield. Chang anticipated the move, however, and began quickly advancing down the aisle, continuing his suppressing fire. He only had a few moments before Chang would have him cornered, so Jeff hefted the table up and lunged across the aisle. But as he did, his boot slipped on the paint that was coating the floor. He pitched forward, losing his hold on the table which crashed loudly to the ground, followed quickly by Jeff. He found himself on his back between two tables in the next row, his erstwhile shield laying on its side next to him. Before he even had time to try to scramble around to search for his gun, he looked up to find Chang standing over him, a fiendish grin covering his face. Chang tossed his automatic rifle aside, drew out one of his gold-colored pistols and pointed it at Jeff's head.

A maniacal laugh sprang from Chang's lips. "This… is the best day of my life!" Jeff closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.

_Please just not in the moneymaker…_

The gun fired and Jeff flinched instinctively.

Only… he never felt the impact. Had Chang missed? Jeff slowly opened his eyes to find Chang clutching the back of his head, paint oozing through his fingers.

"Owwwww! You shot me in the head! You're not even supposed to be playing!"

"Everyone's playing," Annie said in a menacing tone. "That's what you get for ruining our decorations. Now get out of here. I don't talk to dead people." Chang turned and slunk away towards the exit. Annie sauntered up and stood over Jeff, placing one hand on her hip and blowing over the barrel of her gun. "Are you sure _you're_ here to protect _me_?"

Jeff smirked at her. "Took you long enough." Annie rolled her eyes as she helped Jeff to his feet. He swiftly retrieved his gun, then nodded towards the automatic rifle Chang had left behind. "You want it?"

Annie shook her head. "I prefer pistols."

Jeff shrugged and flipped his gun in his hand, offering it to Annie hilt first, then retrieved the rifle. Annie waited, a gun in each hand, as Jeff loaded more paintballs into the rifle's reservoir. When he finished, he turned to face her. "Ready?"

Annie dithered for a moment. "Actually, wait." Jeff arched an expectant eyebrow at her. "Before we go, I'd like to point out that this paintball game has been going on for the better part of the day, and has now reached the point where my decorations have been ruined, school property destroyed, Rachel kidnapped and the school is suddenly fighting for its survival again."

Jeff shrugged. "Yeah, it's been crazy. But when is Greendale ever not crazy?"

A gleam appeared in Annie's eye. "So, in a sense, what happened is, you guys decided to play paintball, annnnnnnnd?" Annie gestured with her hand to indicate she expected Jeff to complete the sentence.

"Annie," Jeff gave her an exasperated look, "you really need me to say it? You were-"

Annie raised her hand to cut him off. "Eh, whoa whoa, yeah, I need you to say it. Let me just get settled." Annie made a show of stretching her shoulders and neck before closing her eyes. "Ok, go."

Jeff stared at her for a moment. This wasn't fair. He shouldn't be the one having to say this, paintball wasn't his idea. He'd even tried to limit it to the gym. He knew the look on Annie's face though, and knew she wouldn't budge until she got what she wanted.

"You were right."

"Ohh- Ahhhhhhhhhh, yeah." Jeff tapped his foot impatiently as Annie rode out her fake orgasm. When she was finished, she smiled brightly at him and headed for the exit. Jeff fell in behind her, grumbling to himself about Abed owing him. They made for the hallway, since Rachel's kidnappers would no doubt use the door they had shattered if and when they eventually returned. Annie unlocked the door where Jeff had initially found her and they slipped outside before setting off towards the administration building.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Their trip back across campus was surprisingly uneventful. Aside from one roving squad of machines that Jeff easily dispatched with the automatic rifle, they saw no one. But what made things even more eerie was the quiet. Earlier in the day it had seemed like you couldn't go anywhere without hearing at least sporadic gunfire. But as dusk descended, a pall of silence had settled over Greendale. Jeff didn't know what to make of it. Had the rest of Abed's forces been wiped out? Was one or both sides marshalling their strength for something big? There was no way to tell.

Once inside the administration building they quickly made their way down to the basement level where the archives were housed. As they approached the entrance Annie whispered, "Be careful. They may have people here already searching."

Jeff nodded grimly. There were no guards posted in the dank, poorly lit hallway, which was a good sign. Either there was no one here, or whoever was here wasn't too bright. Jeff cautiously approached the doorway and placed his ear against it, but couldn't hear anything beyond the drone of the hallway's fluorescent lights. _Waiting won't make it any better._ Jeff glanced at Annie to see if she was ready and received a determined nod in response. He gripped the cold metal handle of the door and took a steadying breath, then swiftly pushed the door open, gun at the ready, his eyes sweeping around the room for potential threats.

The archives, however, were just as empty as the hallway was. The tension eased out of him and he heard Annie exhale in relief. Jeff turned and secured the door behind them before facing Annie. "Alright, where do we need to look?"

Annie tucked one gun into the front of her waist and one at the back, then motioned for Jeff to follow her. "Over here." The Greendale archives were much the way Annie had described them. An oversized unfinished basement full of endless stacks of boxes. The damp, musty air hung heavy around them, and a thick coating of dust covered every surface Jeff could see. She led him past row after row of brown, unlabeled boxes that were devoid of any discernable filing system. At the third row from the back, Annie broke off to the right and began counting off boxes as she worked her way down the aisle. Just past the halfway point she paused and looked up, and Jeff saw a look of consternation cross her face. She looked back towards the beginning of the aisle and quickly counted down again to the stack she was standing by.

"Oh dear."

"What is it?"

Annie pointed towards the top of the stack where a rectangular hole created a gap between the two adjacent stacks of boxes. Jeff felt a sinking feeling in his gut as he stared at the empty space. The dust on the surrounding boxes looked as though it had been recently disturbed.

"Shit."

Annie's eyes had gone wide as she nodded agreement with Jeff's assessment of the situation. "What do we do now?"

"The only thing we can do," Jeff shrugged. "Win the game."

A look of determination settled over Annie and she pursed her lips and gave a firm nod. "Well there's no reason why we have to do it alone. Let's see if we can link back up with Abed and the rest."

Jeff grimaced. "That would be good, except there's no way for us to know where they are, or if they're even still alive."

"Alive?" Annie gave Jeff an incredulous look. "Don't be so dramatic, Jeff." She pulled out her cell phone and tapped in her code to unlock it.

"What are you doing?"

Annie directed her best duh-doy face at him. "Texting Abed."

Jeff stared dumbly at her for a second, then a wave of embarrassment hit him. _What the hell is wrong with me? Why do I let Abed suck me into these post-apocalyptic fantasies of his?_

"Crap, I don't get signal down here. We'll have to head upstairs." Annie stashed her phone back in her pocket.

"I'm not sure he'll answer," Jeff said. "He's busy playing-"

A light rustling noise came from nearby, causing Jeff to freeze in place. Annie, however, had drawn her weapons in a flash and was already stalking slowly down the aisle towards the main corridor, her toes touching the ground first to soften her steps. Jeff recovered after an instant and followed after her, the rifle cradled in both his hands. The sound had come from the other side of one huge wall of boxes, in the direction of the back wall. They rounded the corner cautiously into the main corridor, and Annie peeked into the second-to-last row. Jeff held his breath until she gave the all clear signal and they crept on towards the very back of the room.

When they reached the final row, Jeff tapped Annie on the shoulder and motioned for her to stay back. He then quickly lunged around the corner and fired a spray of paintballs down the aisle. He saw his shots splatter harmlessly against the far wall in what at first glance appeared to be another empty row full of nothing but boxes.

"What the bloody hell?" a familiar voice sounded from the darkness, and Jeff noticed a slight movement on the floor. The voice had removed all tension from him though, and soon a familiar face appeared to go with the voice.

"Professor Duncan?!" Annie exclaimed. "What are you doing in here?"

Ian Duncan stumbled out of the darkened aisle, rubbing at his eyes under his glasses. He paused and stretched before letting out a loud yawn. "I_was_ catching up on some sleep until you two wankers had to go and give me a heart attack."

Jeff gave him an appraising look. "As much as I admire your work ethic, you have an office with a couch in it. Why are you sleeping on the floor of a basement?"

"For the same reason you don't sleep in the checkout line at Bath and Body Works. People know to look for me there." Annie guffawed and her hand shot up to cover her mouth as she continued snickering, drawing a sidelong glare from Jeff.

"What?" Annie said amidst another giggle. "It's funny because it's true."

Jeff rolled his eyes and turned back to Duncan. "I don't suppose you noticed anyone come in here and remove one of the boxes?"

Duncan thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No. I can sleep through most anything, though." He directed a pointed look at Jeff's rifle. "Except gunfire, that is."

"Well get used to the gunfire because we need all the help we can get," Annie said as she held out one of her guns to Duncan.

Duncan raised his hands in protest. "Oh I don't know, Annie. I'm not cut out for shooting anyone. Or anything that involves physical coordination, for that matter."

Jeff stepped close and put a hand on Duncan's shoulder. "She's right. We need every available person to join the resistance if we're going to stop Borchert and the machines from taking over Greendale."

Duncan looked completely flummoxed. "I didn't understand any of that, but ok."

"Long story short? We need to stop Borchert from winning the paintball game. Because unless you know how to teach computer science, you're going to be out of a job if we don't." Duncan paled and reluctantly took the offered gun from Annie, holding it awkwardly as if unsure of how to use it.

The trio departed the archives and made their way upstairs where Annie again pulled out her phone to contact Abed. Satisfied that her signal was strong enough, she began typing out a message as they walked slowly towards the exit. The administration building was one of the oldest buildings on campus and the hallways were drab and narrow. The occasional bulletin board was the only feature of the walls aside from the evenly spaced doorways.

"We should get out of this hallway," Jeff warned. "It's too narrow and there's no cover. If someone came in here we'd-"

Shots suddenly rang out from behind them and Annie almost dropped her phone as she and Jeff spun to face the potential threat. The hallway was still empty, but they could begin to hear the sound of pounding feet. They were smack in the middle of the long hallway. Retreat towards the basement was not an option, with the threat approaching from that direction. They were left with two options, make a run for the building exit, or stand and fight. Duncan looked ready to flee, but Jeff had no desire to be shot in the back while running away. The look on Annie's face indicated that she agreed with him.

"Man, I'm tired of being right," Jeff grumbled as he tried the doors on either side of the hallway. They were both locked. He glanced around quickly, then reached for the nearest bulletin board and pulled on the side. After a moment's protest, the anchors gave way from the old and crumbly drywall and Jeff propped the board on its end and motioned for Annie and Duncan to get behind it.

"I hope you're prepared to deal with red tape it'll take to get that board replaced," Annie said in a slightly annoyed tone.

Jeff shrugged. "If we win, one of us will be dean. If we lose, it's Borchert's problem." At the end of the hall, a solitary figure came running around the corner, blond hair streaming behind her as she ran.

"Britta!" Annie exclaimed. She raised herself part way out of her crouch and waved. "Over here!"

"Get ready to lay down covering fire," Jeff said through gritted teeth.

Britta was halfway towards them when several gray clad students rounded the corner behind her. "Wait for them to commit…" Annie said with steely resolve. The students advanced farther down the hall, and finally began to raise their weapons.

"Now!" Jeff and Annie yelled together as they both began firing. Duncan managed to squeeze off one shot and promptly dropped his gun. Jeff saw the two leading students take hits and adjusted his fire slightly to the side to take out a third. Two more students were trailing them, however, and ducked behind their compatriots for cover, firing blindly down the hall at them.

_Let's see how willing these kids are to be human shields…_ Jeff continued firing a stream of paintballs into the leading students until they had had enough punishment, turning back the way they'd come and leaving the last two exposed. Jeff tracked his fire back across the hall, striking one of the students before his gun suddenly made a rapid clicking noise. He glanced down quickly and cursed. The CO2 canister was empty. A paintball struck the bulletin board just below his eye level and Jeff ducked instinctively. Britta came flying past and dropped to the floor behind them, panting with exhaustion. Jeff was about to ask her to toss him her gun when he noticed Annie take careful aim and calmly squeeze off a single shot.

"I'm out…" a disappointed voice sounded from down the hall.

"Leave your guns!" Annie hollered after the departing students. Jeff stood and dropped the bulletin board to the floor. When he turned to check on Britta, he found her kneeling over a groaning Duncan. A paintball had struck him square in the glasses and yellow paint had splattered over much of his face.

"Professor Duncan," Britta said in a distraught voice, "did you just take a bullet for me?"

Ian Duncan stopped groaning and went silent for a moment. "Yes, Britta… yes I did." Jeff hadn't seen it, but he was virtually positive that was _not_ the way it had happened. Britta then made a sound that Jeff never thought he'd hear from her.

"Awwww!"

"What's going on?" Annie asked as she came walking up with the guns she'd collected from the students they'd defeated.

Duncan sat up and ran a hand over his face to wipe away some of the paint. "Oh nothing. I simply did what any true hero would do and sacrificed myself to save a comrade in arms." The look on Annie's face made it clear that she didn't believe it any more than Jeff did. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be getting home. I have a documentary on the mistreatment of animals by the food industry that I've been meaning to watch."

Duncan picked himself up off the floor and strolled slowly towards the exit. Britta watched him as he left, an uncertain look on her face.

"Britta," Britta jumped and turned towards Jeff, "what's been going on? Have you seen Abed?"

"Uh, yeah. I got back to the camp not long after you left to find Annie. Abed led us on a few hit and run raids and things seemed to be going really well but then…" A look of distress crossed Britta's face. "Word got back to us that Borchert had captured Rachel. Abed lost it. He led us on an all-out assault on Borchert's stronghold to try to rescue her. And we were actually winning, until…" Britta's expression turned glum. "Until _he_ showed up."

Jeff and Annie exchanged wary glances before Annie spoke. "He who?"

"The man in black," Britta said reluctantly. "They're calling him the Terminator. I don't know who he is, I never saw his face. He cut through the middle of us, shattered our line… and then everyone ran." Britta hung her head in shame. "It was everyone for themselves. I ended up with Magnitude and we made it over to the old library, but those machines were still after us…" Britta's face crumpled. "He… he got pop popped right in front of me…"

Annie stepped close to Britta and rubbed her arm reassuringly. "It's ok, Britta. Everything's ok."

Britta shook her head and looked to be on the brink of tears. "No Annie, it's not. It's too much. I'm tired. I'm tired of this war, tired of losing my friends one by one, tired of always running, tired of always being afraid…"

Annie glanced helplessly at Jeff as she continued trying to comfort Britta. Jeff cleared his throat. "Um, listen Britta," he began hesitantly, "we think we know what Borchert is up to. I know it's tough, but it's really important that we stop him from winning. We have to keep fighting until the end. We don't have a choice."

Britta raised her head to meet Jeff's gaze, her watery eyes on the verge of spilling over. "We always have a choice, Jeff," she said in a hollow voice. Jeff gave her a puzzled look, but then her expression changed to something softer. Her eyes drifted closed as the last of the fight seemed to drain out of her, and Jeff knew what she was about to do. He lunged forward, but the gun fired before he could reach her.

"Britta, no!" Annie screamed.

Jeff looked down to where paint covered the top of Britta's shoe. He let out a sigh as her gun clattered to the floor.

Britta took a deep breath, then she actually smiled. "I'm sorry, you guys. Borchert's over in the CPU Lab. Good luck." Annie gave Britta a tight hug before she jogged away down the hall. When she reached the door, she quickly exited and Jeff could hear her call out, "Professor Duncan? Professor Duncan, wait up!"

Jeff shook his head and turned to Annie. "Well, what now?"

Annie remained silent for a few moments, a despondent look on her face. But she soon recovered and lifted her eyes to meet his. "I don't know if we can take on Borchert at his fortress all by ourselves, not to mention this mystery soldier of his." Annie paused and furrowed her brow in thought. "Let's see if we can find any other survivors. At the very least they may be able to tell us how many enemies are left."

They picked through the guns that were left and selected the four with the most CO2 remaining and stripped the others of ammo. Armed with two pistols each, they departed the administration building and entered the deepening darkness outside.

Three hours later, they found themselves holed up in a familiar space. Annie sat Indian style on Table Mk II, preparing a meal of Slim Jims, crackers and fake cheese that they'd scavenged from a vending machine, while Jeff checked the brooms they'd placed through the door handles to make certain they were secure. Their search for other survivors had been quite fruitless. They had managed to eliminate several more small bands of machines, but the last few had been solitary individuals, and they hadn't even seen any of those in over an hour.

"There must not be many of them left," Annie was saying as she finished prying open the last of the Slim Jims.

Jeff strolled over to the table and picked up a cracker with some cheese on it. "Agreed." He bit into the cracker and grimaced as he chewed.

"Maybe it's time we think about going after Borchert?"

Jeff gave a half-hearted nod. "Yeah, but I want to wait until the right time. We'll hold here and get some rest, then hit them around four in the morning when most of whoever's left will be asleep."

Annie swallowed the last bit of a Slim Jim and cracker sandwich she'd made, then picked up her phone and stared at it in consternation. "I wish Abed would respond."

"That might actually be a good thing," Jeff mused. "If he'd been eliminated from game, he probably would have texted you by now. Since he hasn't, it might mean he's still in it."

Annie tilted her head in confusion. "Why wouldn't he text me back if he's still in the game?"

"You know Abed," Jeff shrugged, "when he gets into a role, he really commits to it."

"I still don't understand," Annie said slowly, "what role is he playing?"

Jeff choked down another bite of processed meat and artificial cheese. "Oh, he started out the day pretending to be an army general, but after the whole thing with the machines started, he said we'd switched over to The Terminator. He said he's John Connor, you're Sarah and I'm Kyle Reese." Jeff waved his hand dismissively. "I guess this mystery soldier of Borchert's is the terminator."

A glint appeared in Annie's eyes and Jeff gave her a questioning look. "Soooo, if he said we're doing The Terminator now, did he… give you anything…?"

Jeff rolled his eyes and exhaled loudly. "Yes, he gave me the picture."

"Ooooh, yay!" Annie bounced excitedly. "I never thought that would be the first one we'd get to use though…"

Jeff gave her a sardonic look. "Why do you guys do stuff like that?"

"Like what?" she asked innocently.

"I don't know, stupid stuff like try to make life like the movies, or take pictures you'll never get to use."

Annie frowned. "It's not _stupid_ Jeff. And I'd like to point out that we _did_ just use one of those pictures."

"Ok," Jeff allowed, "but what's the point? It's not like giving me that picture actually makes this into The Terminator."

Annie let out an indignant huff. "Of course it doesn't, Jeff. But Abed loves it when life imitates TV or the movies. He loves this sort of thing and it makes _me_ happy to see _him_ happy."

"But the dreamatorium, the dress up and make-believe… isn't it time for him to let go of the fairy tales? I mean, grow up already."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Jeff wished he could take them back. Annie's eyes flashed with hurt and she looked down into her lap.

"What if I don't want to let go of the fairy tales?" she said quietly. "What if _I_ was the one that suggested we take those pictures because I thought it would be something fun to do with one of my best friends? What if _I_ was the one who loved the idea of me being Sarah Connor?"

Jeff started in shock. "But… you don't even like movies like The Terminator…" was all he could manage.

Annie lifted her gaze to meet his, her eyes filled with pain. "Usually no, but I like love stories. Kyle Reese fell in love with a photograph. He didn't know anything about Sarah Connor other than that he loved her. He loved her so completely and selflessly that when her life was in danger he traveled through time to protect her from an enemy he knew he couldn't defeat. He gave up everything for her, including his life, because of that love. Is it…" Annie's voice cracked, "is it wrong to want someone to love you like that too?"

Annie turned away from him and buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking slightly. Jeff stood like a statue for several long moments until finally he took a few tentative steps towards her. He knew he had to do something, but he didn't know what. His hand felt like stone as he reached out hesitantly and laid it on her shoulder. But Annie just shook him off and continued crying softly.

_Aww hell…_

He didn't quite know where the words came from, but before he knew it, they were there.

"Abed gave me a picture of you once," he said quietly. "I didn't know why at the time. It was very old – torn, faded. You were young like you are now." Annie's shoulders had stopped their shaking, she seemed to be holding her breath. "You seemed just a little sad. I used to always wonder what you were thinking at that moment." Annie turned towards him, her face lined with tears but her expression melting into a wide smile. Jeff reached out and ran a finger down her cheek. "I memorized every line, every curve… I came across campus for you, Annie. I love you; I always have."

Annie apparently had had enough of quoting and launched herself at Jeff, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck and shoulders as she kissed him with desperate intensity. She might have skipped over the dialogue that should have immediately followed, but it turned out that Annie was more than willing to reenact the rest of the scene. And for once, Jeff was perfectly happy to have life imitate the movies.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **Paintball, part three! So... I didn't mean to do this. I really meant for this to be the final part to paintball, but it was just getting way too long, so I had to break it up. The good news is, I'm almost done with the next installment, so there won't be as long between chapters this time.

One other note, I want to apologize in advance for the first section of this chapter. I would have preferred not to write it, but I felt like I needed to address Jeff feeling stuck at Greendale. So, S6 Jeff makes an appearance here. Thank Dan Harmon for that :-/

As always, your comments are greatly appreciated!

Jeff lay on his side on one of the study room couches, his arm around Annie, who was tucked in neatly next to him – the perfect little spoon to his big spoon. He was feeling that sense of contentment whose intensity seemed to have a direct correlation to his proximity to Annie. In these quiet moments alone with her, nothing was expected of him. He didn't have to be Jeff Winger: Super-Lawyer, Jeff Winger: Coolest Guy on Campus, Jeff Winger: Suave, Sophisticated Stud at the (Insert Location Here), Jeff Winger: Study Group Leader, Jeff Winger: Guy with the Awesome Condo, Car, Suit, Abs, Faucets, etc. He didn't have to be any part of the impossible persona he had built for himself over the years. All he had to be was Jeff, and all he had to do was _be_.

He'd had a taste of this feeling during his first year at Greendale when he'd crashed in Abed's dorm room for a few days. But in typical Greendale fashion, he'd taken things beyond the point of reason. Britta had helped pull him out of the tailspin that time, but this time there was no such danger. Like Abed, Annie didn't require him to be JEFF WINGER in order to impress her, she only needed him to be himself. But unlike Abed, she would keep him focused and grounded in reality.

Jeff was coming to depend on little moments like these to get through the craziness of his day-to-day life. He wasn't happy with his job, his finances, or a number of other things, but largely thanks to Annie he was finding an overall contentment with his life. It felt strange to need another person the way he needed Annie. Strange and terrifying. Terrifying and exhilarating. His only concern was that he would become dependent on her for his happiness. Aside from what it could do to him, it wasn't fair to place that type of burden on her. Nevertheless, at times when he used to find himself reaching for a glass of scotch, he now found himself reaching for her. Or if she wasn't around, reaching for his phone to call or text, or sometimes just smile at the colorful little heart emoji she would randomly send him throughout the day. Jeff shuddered to think what his life might have been like in the upcoming semester were Annie not set to be such a big part of it.

Annie took a deep breath and let out a long, satisfied hum, pulling Jeff out of his reverie. Their clothes still lay strewn around the study room, but Jeff had learned from prior experiences at Greendale and had stashed a few blankets in one of the cupboards, which they were now making use of. He tilted his head so that he could place a kiss against the base of her neck, drawing another hum from Annie.

"I'm really looking forward to the start of school," Annie said in a dreamy voice.

Jeff frowned. "Now why'd you have to go and ruin the moment like that?"

Jeff could practically hear her eyes roll. "Shush, you. I happen to like school. Or hadn't you noticed that about me?"

Jeff snorted. "It was one of the first things I noticed about you. But I like you anyway," he finished teasingly. Annie reached back to pinch Jeff's thigh, but his hand shot down and snagged her wrist. He began laughing when she started trying to wrest her arm free. "Do you really want to start this again? It didn't go so well for you last time."

Annie ceased her struggles and instead guided his hand up to where she pressed her lips against his knuckles. "I seem to recall it ended rather well for the both of us."

"Pfft, those were two separate events."

Annie remained silent and tugged on his arm to pull him closer to her. Jeff allowed himself to be drawn in, his nose becoming tangled in her rich auburn hair. Today she smelled like a blend of magnolias and vanilla. He slid his arm down until his hand was resting against her belly, his thumb unconsciously stroking the soft, supple skin. They remained silently tangled together for several minutes until their breathing started to synchronize and Jeff felt himself beginning to doze.

"I'm going to miss everyone at the police department," Annie murmured, clearing away some of the cobwebs in Jeff's mind. "Except Don, of course."

"You can still visit," he mumbled.

"Yeah," Annie sighed. "But it won't be the same. Mrs. Anders gave me her contact info though, and I'm definitely going to keep in touch with her. I really liked working for her, and the department, it's just…" Annie trailed off slowly.

"Hmm?"

"I feel like… I don't know… I was meant for something bigger than the local police force." Annie sounded hesitant. "I guess that sounds kind of arrogant, huh?"

Jeff almost burst out laughing. "You kidding? You're going to be President someday. There is nothing holding you back from anything you want to do." _Except me…_ Jeff winced internally.

"Well, I don't know about President…" Jeff could hear the smile in her voice. "But… I was reading a while back about internships at the FBI. I've got more than a year of school left before I can finish my second degree, so I was thinking that if I took the right courses and really pushed myself I could apply for one of their visiting scientist programs in forensics next summer."

"FBI huh? That sounds about more your speed than Greendale," Jeff chuckled.

"It does make me a little nervous though. I've never lived outside of Colorado."

Jeff felt as though someone had just dropped an anvil on his stomach. "Outside Colorado?" he stammered, "Don't they have a Greendale office or something?"

"No, silly," Annie giggled. "There's an office in Denver, but I'd have to go to Quantico for the visiting scientist program. And if I managed to get a job with them afterwards, then who knows where I'd be posted. You can request certain locations, but I've read that they like to move people around at least to start-"

Annie continued talking excitedly about potential places she could go and things she might get to do as part of the science program, but Jeff couldn't focus on any of it. All he knew was this was the first step down the path that ended with him losing her.

_You always knew this would happen. You always knew she was too good for Greendale. You always knew she was too good for you. She'll get what she needs from Greendale, and then she'll be off to conquer the world. She'll probably stay with you for a while out of pity, but you'll hold her back. This place won't be enough for her, and neither will you. She'll outgrow you. And when she does, you'll be left right where you started five years ago. A lonely, friendless ex-lawyer stuck at the world's worst community college. Only this time, there's nowhere else to go. This time, there's no light at the end of the tunnel. You're trapped here._

_Forever._

"Jeff?" Annie wheezed while squirming slightly. "Jeff that… that kinda hurts and I can't breathe…"

Jeff realized suddenly that he had pulled her into what amounted to a crushing hug, a physical manifestation of his desire to hold onto her. It took some effort, but he was able to will himself into loosening his grip on her. "Sorry…" he mumbled sheepishly.

Annie adjusted herself and took a deep breath before falling silent for a few moments.

"You… you can come with me, you know," she said tentatively.

Always the optimist. Jeff didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. "And do what, Annie? No place besides Greendale would hire me and you're not going to want a forty-something ex-lawyer, ex-community college teacher hanging around mooching off you while you're climbing the ranks at the FBI. Face it, I'm stuck here."

Annie sat bolt upright and spun to face him, clutching a blanket close around her chest.

"What the hell is this crap?!"

Jeff glanced up at her, but quickly averted his eyes. "I'm just being honest. I don't have any prospects outside of Greendale. You do. This FBI thing is going to work if you want it to. I know it. Because things always work when you want them to. And I can't just tag along while you're out making your dreams come true. I mean, what am I going to do? Sit around and watch soap operas all day and wait for you to come home? Get a job as a janitor at McDonalds? I think I'd kill myself. And why would you want someone like that around? A middle-aged failure weighing you down like an anchor. You don't want that. You won't want that. You'd be better off without me."

Annie sat dumbfounded for several moments before finally shaking her head quickly to dispel her shock. "Ok… um… first of all, what? Second of all, do I get a say in this?"

"I'm just being-"

"Honest?" Annie cut him off. "No, I think crazy is the word I'd choose. Not to mention depressing."

She wasn't wrong. But Jeff had never reacted well to the threat of losing someone important to him. And Annie was just a teensy bit more important to him than most. His usual method of coping came in the form of a certain type of whiskey made from malted barley and he usually preferred it aged twelve to seventeen years. But he didn't have any of that handy.

"What's crazy about it? You just said you wanted to leave, and you should. There are endless opportunities out there for you, and I would never stand in the way of that."

"Jeff… you're acting like I've already got a job that's sending me halfway around the world. I'm talking about _applying_ for a ten week internship program that's nine months away. And I'd still have more classes to take after that to get my degree." Annie sighed and rubbed at her temples. "Can we just take our foot off the crazy pedal for a second? Now tell me, what's this all about?"

Jeff could feel his defenses rising. The old walls he always used to hide behind when faced with emotional pain. He'd always pushed people away at times like this. It was easier that way. Because if he pushed them away, then he could tell himself that they left because he made them leave. Not because he wasn't good enough. He could feel the impulse building in him now…

Annie waited patiently as Jeff wrestled with himself, his eyes darting around the room, pointedly looking anywhere except at her. "Look Annie, it's just reality, that's all. I'm not-" His eyes came to rest on one of the empty chairs that surrounded the study room table. This particular chair was on the side closest to the wall; of the two chairs on that side, this one was farther away from Jeff's usual seat. Suddenly he could hear the chair's normal occupant speaking to him.

_I want you to promise me something._

_Shirley, no. I never made that promise._

_If you never do another thing for me as long as you live, then at least do this._

_I can't. I love her too much. If I let her get that close…_

_Let her in. Completely._

_You don't understand._

_If she loves you then she's going to keep on loving you, flaws and all, but you have to let her in._

_She does love me. Or at least, she thinks she does. But there are no guarantees-_

_Let her be your strength._

_But the risk…_

_There is nothing the two of you can't do together._

_I…_

_Let her in._

Jeff's eyes flicked back to meet with Annie's. "Every single one of you is gonna leave here except for me," he blurted. He began searching her face for the inevitable. He knew it was coming. "Troy, Shirley, Abed's probably going off to Hollywood. Even Pierce got to die. And Britta… well… I'll think of something later." He kept studying her, she looked concerned, but still no sign of- "And you're going to go join the FBI. Do you know what that means? It means I finally know in my heart that I will literally be the last one of us here." Now it would certainly come. That look of pity. The look of someone strong inspecting someone weak and feeling sorry for them.

Annie reached her hand out and grasped his. Then she did the last thing he expected.

She smiled.

"No, you won't."

"But-"

"Tell me why you think you're stuck here," Annie's smile morphed slowly into a smirk, "and then I'll tell you why you're wrong."

Jeff stared at her blankly for a moment. He'd never bothered to analyze why he felt trapped at Greendale, it was just sort of something he'd always known ever since he'd returned as a teacher.

"Well… what else can I do? I faked being a lawyer and ended up here when I got caught. I could've gone back to that after graduation, but I didn't want to become that guy again. I tried being a good guy lawyer and it almost bankrupted me. If I can't practice law, then what else am I qualified for?" Jeff shrugged helplessly. "I can barely teach law at a school that barely requires its teachers to teach."

Jeff again inspected Annie for signs of pity, but mostly she just looked confused. "Jeff, I don't understand why you seem to think being a lawyer isn't an option for you anymore. So you had a setback with your first business, does that mean you're just going to give up?" Annie fixed him with a challenging look. "You know, when you agreed to be a teacher at Greendale, it didn't really make sense to me. I didn't say anything in part because I was so happy that we were all together again, but also because I thought it was something you were only going to do temporarily, until you got another opportunity in law somewhere."

Jeff winced. "That's what I thought too. But then Hickey told me that he was doing the same thing. Just teaching until a real job came along, except he'd been doing it for fifteen years. And the longer I went without anything coming up, the more I realized that he was right."

Annie made a sour face. "You're basing this on something Professor Hickey told you? Do I even need to remind you that he left Greendale to start his own funeral services business?"

"But he still never got to go back to a police job like he wanted. And I don't want to have to wait fifteen years before I finally-"

"So don't!" Annie borderline shouted. "If you're really that unhappy with teaching, then get out there, find something you want to do! Find a law firm to join or try starting another business of your own. You just became famous for winning Troy's case, I'm sure someone would give you a chance. And if you're worried your only option is the slimy stuff you used to do, then you can do almost literally _anything_ else. You can talk circles around people better than anyone I've ever met, and that's a skill that's valuable in more places than just a courtroom." Annie began ticking off fingers as she listed potential career tracks for Jeff. "Real estate, sales, consulting, arbitration, mediation, fundraising, journalism… you could be amazing at any of those. Or, you know, you spend enough time at the gym, you could even be a personal trainer. Lastly, _if_ I end up there and you need a reason besides me to come to DC, you could be a lobbyist or a politician," Annie poked him in the side and winked. "You've got the right amount of moral ambiguity."

For a moment, Jeff was too stunned for words. And before he could recover, Annie was already continuing.

"Now, I know what you're going to say, and no it won't necessarily be easy to get into some of those fields, but you can do it if you really wanted to. And I shouldn't need to tell you that I'd be there to help." Annie grabbed his hand again and gave it a squeeze. "Besides, if you're going to take inspiration from something Hickey did, then let it be for his finally finding something that makes him happy."

Jeff stared at her silently until she began glancing around uncomfortably.

"You're um, allowed to say something now…"

"Best girlfriend ever?" Jeff gave her a weak smile.

An unexpected laugh bubbled up between Annie's lips and she gazed at him affectionately. "Jeff, you don't have to do any of those things I just said. I just want you to be happy. And you need to realize that there are things out there that you'd enjoy." Annie sighed and her concerned look made a return. "But… those things you said earlier… I have a hard time believing you said all that just because you're unhappy with your job…"

Jeff reluctantly held her gaze, her big blue eyes pleading with him to tell her everything. Finally, he couldn't stand seeing that look of worry on her face anymore and knowing he was the cause. He broke away from her stare and instead studied her hand, and all the places her fingers were intertwined with his.

"I guess…" Jeff swallowed and his eyes drifted closed. "I guess you could say I have abandonment issues." He fell silent for a moment, his eyes still closed. He wasn't sure what he expected to happen. Part of him expected her to laugh at him, part of him expected her to call him weak, part of him expected her to get up and walk out. But all she did was grip his hand a little tighter. He opened his eyes slowly, his gaze drifting up to meet hers almost shyly.

She was waiting patiently for him to be ready to say more, but in her expression he didn't see any trace of judgement, scorn or pity. All he saw was love, acceptance and infinite compassion. And before he knew it, it was all spilling out of him. All the things about his dad that he'd barely spoken of to anyone and even some things that only he and his mother knew. The aloofness, the neglect, Jeff's longing for attention and love… and then when things between his parents had started to deteriorate, the times he'd come home drunk, the anger and the insults, the abuse…

There were more than a few tears, hers and his, by the time he'd run out of things to say. Through it all, Annie hadn't said a word; she'd simply let him get it out. Sure, she'd hummed and gasped a few times, and shed her share of tears, but mostly she just listened, and understood. He'd ended up in a sitting position, his feet on the floor and his arms propped on his legs as he stared at the carpet. Annie was draped over him in a protective hug from the side, her left arm around him and her head on his shoulder. Jeff found himself repeatedly clenching his fists to prevent his hands from shaking.

"I've always sort of felt like I had to prove that I was good enough. To anyone close to me, I mean. Because if I didn't, then they'd leave… Probably why I didn't let anyone get close to me for so long. And Greendale, well… I pretty much always associated Greendale with failure." Jeff shrugged. "I mean, I wasn't supposed to be here, I was supposed to be a lawyer. It was like this place was my punishment for getting caught, and that never really left me even after I met all you guys." He let out a long sigh and shook his head. "So after my business tanked and I ended up back here, it just compounded everything. I felt stuck in a place that meant failure, which meant _I_ was a failure. And if I was a failure, then it just felt like all you guys would eventually leave me here. Then Pierce died, Troy left, and now Shirley… it was all coming true… and then you said you were going to apply at the FBI and…" Jeff's voice hitched, causing him to trail off.

_Annie… you are the one person in this life I don't think I could handle losing. I need you. God help me, but I do._

That was what he wanted to say, but his mouth refused to form the words. Before he could force it to, Annie finally broke her silence.

"Shh shh shh…" her right hand came up and began stroking the stubble on the side of his face. "I'm not going to leave you, Jeff. _If_ I end up going to Quantico, it'll be for like ten or eleven weeks. I think we can survive that," she said playfully. "Anything beyond that… well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. We can figure it out."

"But Annie, we've only been dating for a month, we don't know where-"

"Hey!" Annie sat up straight and turned his face so that he was looking at her. "I'm not some girl you met in a bar that you've only been dating for a month. We've been friends for five years. Close friends… Besides, you said earlier that things always work when I want them to. Well this," she gestured between them, "is what I want to work."

Jeff smirked at her. "Using my own words against me… Et tu, Edison?"

Annie smirked back. "Get used to it, Winger. You're not getting rid of me that easily." She moved in and kissed him, softly, slowly. And though the storm of doubt still raged within him, he found himself trusting in her.

They laid back down and pulled the blankets back over them before Jeff once again put his arm around her and pulled her close. They only had a few short hours to rest. There was still a war to fight.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The gun made a muffled noise through the jacket Jeff had wrapped around it. However, that didn't stop the previously sleeping sentry from letting out a startled yelp of pain when the paintball struck her in the side. The other sentry sleeping nearby stirred, and Jeff calmly gave him a reason to head home too. Annie turned away and waited vigilantly for the sound to draw the roving sentry. She was hidden in a bush near the corner of the CPU lab. The sentry had just passed by a few moments earlier and would definitely be coming from this direction.

It wasn't long before she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. They neared her position and came to an abrupt halt. "Megan?" The sentry called out nervously. "Megan was that you? Is everything ok?"

Silence was the only answer.

The footsteps resumed, slower this time, as the sentry continued creeping towards the main door. Annie waited until the girl passed, then quickly popped out of the bush and shot her in the back.

The sentry did her best to stifle a cry, not of pain, but of surprise. However, it still made more noise than Annie would've liked. With the last of the outdoor sentries eliminated, Annie worked her way back towards where Jeff was. The tricky part would be getting through the main door without alerting anyone on the inside. The CPU lab was built like a data center: no windows. Otherwise they would've tried to find an alternative means of entrance. She didn't like the idea of going in the front, since for all they knew there could be an ambush waiting just inside, but they had no choice.

Annie was nearing the edge of the glow cast by the lights above the doors when she heard a click and the door started to swing open, causing her to freeze immediately. "Hey, did you losers hear something?"

That voice… Jeff was on the other side of the door and wouldn't have a clear shot.

"It sounded like-"

Annie's arms snapped up in a flash and she fired at the source of the voice.

"Ow, shit!"

The door opened further and the owner of the voice stalked out into the light. Annie's shot had struck her square in the forehead and paint had run down between her eyes and down the side of her nose. "Who did that?! Where are you? You don't shoot someone in the face you-" She came to an abrupt halt when she finally noticed Annie. "YOU! You did that on purpose!"

Annie shifted uncomfortably. She felt guilty about the results, but she didn't _think_ she'd done it on purpose, she'd just reacted…

"Oh, I am _so_ going to get you for this. Watch your back, _other_ Annie."

Annie Kim stomped off into the darkness, rubbing at the growing welt on her forehead as Jeff came strolling up next to Annie.

"Nice shot," he chuckled.

Annie looked up at him, her eyes wide. "I didn't mean to hit her in the face!"

Jeff narrowed his eyes at her. "You sure about that?"

"I didn't… I wouldn't…"

"I'm just saying," Jeff said nonchalantly, "you two have practically been at each other's throats for three years. Passive-aggressively, anyway. Plenty of people could corroborate that." Jeff shrugged. "Any prosecutor worth his salt could build a case for motive."

Annie could feel the righteous indignation building within her. Sure she was competitive with Annie Kim, but she didn't want to _hurt_ her, and it's not like these guns were the most accurate things in the world. Besides, Jeff liked to say how he couldn't help being a badass, so why couldn't the same be true for her? She'd just scored a headshot against a darkened target over thirty feet away and partially obscured by cover without even aiming-

She'd been about to launch into a huffy defense of herself when she caught the twinkle in Jeff's eye. Annie let her objections die on her lips and instead the corner of her mouth turned up into a smirk.

"Good thing I've got such a good defense attorney."

Jeff gave her a lopsided smile and nodded once. "Good thing." He gestured towards the door. "Well the good news is, no one else came out after her so I think that means she was the only one guarding the inside."

They approached the door cautiously; Jeff cracked it open slowly when they reached it and peeked inside. After a second, he opened it the rest of the way and slipped inside, his gun at the ready. Annie was right behind him, sweeping her gaze over the other side of the small atrium. The room was empty save for a blanket and pillow tucked in the corner which was evidently where Annie Kim had made her post.

"Have you ever been in this building?" Jeff asked, a slight undercurrent of tension in his voice, which was the only outward indication of any nerves he was feeling.

Annie shook her head. "No, I'm supposed to have a ballistics lab here this semester, but that doesn't exactly help us right now."

Jeff gave a resigned sigh. "Guess we just have to make it up as we go, then."

They snuck carefully through the double doors that led into the main section of the building and began moving from room to room, searching for enemies. After the sixth empty room they'd reached the end of the first hallway and doubled back to the entrance before working their way down the second corridor. Upon opening the door to one of the middle rooms, Annie heard Jeff breathe in sharply. She braced herself for a fight, but Jeff rose out of his crouch and strode into the room. Slightly puzzled, but also curious, Annie hopped up and followed him.

As soon as she entered the room, her own sharp intake of breath echoed the one Jeff had made. The long, narrow room was filled with dismembered mechanical limbs, torsos and heads. It looked like some sort of robotic torture chamber or a junkyard for prosthetic rejects. Annie's eyes were practically bulging out of her skull as she surveyed it all.

Jeff turned away from inspecting a few half-assembled androids, a grim expression on his face. "Even for Greendale, this is nuts," his voice was filled with disbelief. "That stuff Abed said about Borchert wanting to take over the school and turn us all into robots, I thought it was just a metaphor, but…" he leaned close to inspect the face of one of the androids. "Borchert was always weird, but, do we need to seriously consider the possibility that he might be… evil?"

Annie shook her head slowly. "I'm… I'm sure there's an explanation for this…" her voice betrayed her sudden uncertainly, however. "Borchert was by himself down in the lost section of Greendale for over thirty five years, and even after we found him he mostly just wanted to be left alone. It doesn't make sense that he'd suddenly hatch a plan to replace everyone at Greendale with androids."

"Ted Kaczynski wanted to be left alone," Jeff said doubtfully. "He's always been more comfortable around computers, maybe that's what he wants. A campus full of mechanical people so he doesn't have to be around the real ones anymore."

Jeff was right about Borchert being weird, but he seemed like such a sweetheart in his own awkward way. Annie just wasn't ready to believe that he was turning into some sort of actual monster. But with everything they'd seen so far, it was difficult not to wonder.

Before her mind started taking her down paths she didn't care for, she forced herself to refocus. "Well we don't know anything for certain yet, so all we can do is keep going as we have been. After this is all over, we can try to get to the bottom of everything."

"Alright," Jeff agreed, "but we need to be extra careful from here on out. This may be more than just a paintball game now. And I don't think a paintball gun is going to do much to deter any killer robots." He'd said something similar when they'd gone down into the lost section of Greendale in search of the buried treasure. She didn't know where this preoccupation with killer robots came from, but she nodded in agreement nevertheless.

They finished their sweep of the ground floor without encountering another soul. They entered a stairwell at the end of the last hallway to find steps leading both up and down. "Borchert likes dark, underground places," Jeff whispered. "I guarantee you he's in the basement."

"You're probably right," Annie whispered back. "But let's head up first, make sure no one comes down to hit us from behind." Jeff led the way up the stairs and into the upper floor. The building only had three levels and the second floor was laid out much the same as the first. Jeff peeked into the hallway then turned to Annie, pointed towards the hall and started making an intricate series of hand gestures.

After a few moments of trying to decipher his meaning, Annie let out an exasperated huff. "I have no idea what you're trying to say," she said quietly, "but I'm guessing there's someone in the hall."

Jeff frowned, his disappointment evident. For someone who made fun of other people for acting like they were in the movies, he sure liked to pretend like he was some kind of Special Forces operative. "Yeah. He's asleep though, like most of the others." Jeff shrugged. "Sorta reminds me of class…"

They worked out a quick plan, then snuck through the doorway and tiptoed carefully down the hall towards the sleeping guard. The hallway was mostly dark except for a few emergency lights. Evidently the sentry had turned the lights off to aid his snoozing. He was slumped over in a folding chair that was set up next to a closed door, his chin was resting on his chest and a paintball gun hung loosely in one hand. Annie carefully wrapped one of her guns in the jacket Jeff had used earlier, keeping the muzzle trained on the guard as a precaution. Jeff positioned himself next to the sleeping student and glanced at Annie. When she was ready, she gave a quick nod. In seemingly one motion, Jeff knocked the gun away while simultaneously clamping one hand over the guard's mouth. He awoke with a start, letting out a stifled cry and struggling briefly until Annie fired a muffled shot into his shoe.

Jeff released the guard, who stood and glanced guiltily at the closed door before departing. He'd clearly been responsible for keeping watch over whatever was on the other side, and had been derelict in his duties. Annie crept to the door and cracked it open it as slowly and quietly as she could. She peered inside and had to suppress a gasp. The only light in the room came from a small nightlight on one of the far walls, but she could make out row after row of cots filling the room. Each cot looked to be occupied by a sleeping student. She began counting the cots, but her eyes were drawn to a spot near the light where a large cabinet sat. The doors were propped open and inside it were dozens of paintball guns and bags of ammunition, along with a few cylindrical objects that she didn't recognize.

"What is it?" Jeff's insistent whisper pulled her attention away and she turned her head towards him.

"Thirty or forty students are sleeping in there." She moved back slightly so that Jeff could take a peek in.

"Crap, there's no way we can take out that many without waking them up."

Annie's mind was racing, trying to come up with ideas. "What if we snuck over and closed up that weapons cabinet?"

"Maybe," Jeff said doubtfully, "but even if they're all unarmed, I don't think we could stop everyone from either escaping or overpowering us."

"It's too bad Chang's rifle ran out of CO2," Annie lamented. "It doesn't look like there are any of those over there. Just single shot guns and whatever those weird cylinders are."

Jeff took another look into the room and turned back to Annie, a wide grin spreading over his face. "I know what those are. Chang used one in the first paintball game. They're paint bombs."

Annie's eyes immediately lit up. "That's perfect! All we have to do is set one off in the middle of the room and it should take care of all of them."

"Right," Jeff nodded. "Keep a lookout and cover me. I'm going to-"

Annie gave a sharp shake of her head. "Uh-uh. No way."

Jeff's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Huh? Why not?"

"Because Annie's tired of always being the lookout. Besides, this job requires someone that's quiet, sleek and graceful, like a cheetah. Not a loud, lumbering ogre." She leaned in quickly and gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then was through the door and stealing silently across the room before he had time to object.

Annie made it over to the cache of weapons and nabbed one of the cylindrical bombs before sneaking back to the center of the room. She carefully placed the bomb on the floor and deftly attached the arming mechanism. She hesitated, though, before flipping the switch to arm the bomb. A number of the cots were close by and might shield parts of the room with the bomb placed on the floor like it was. Her eyes had finally adjusted to the low lighting and she glanced around hurriedly until she spied a small tray table in the corner. Trying to move quickly and quietly, she placed her guns on the floor next to the bomb and snuck towards the table as swiftly as she dared. The slow, even breathing of the sleeping students surrounded her and she kept her ears tuned for any sudden changes that might indicate that someone was waking up.

By the time she reached the table, her heart felt like it had moved up into her throat and her pulse was pounding in her ears. She cringed at the minute scraping noises it made when she picked up the table, and every little step back towards the center of the room felt like it took hours to complete. But eventually the table was set up and the bomb placed on it. All that was let to do was arm it, get out of the room and then hit the detonator.

Her finger hovered, ready to flip the arming switch, when suddenly a clicking noise signaled the releasing of a latch and Annie's eyes flicked over to see a door swinging open. She hadn't noticed it thanks to the darkness, but light now began to flood into the room from the opposite hallway. Annie squinted and her hand moved to shield her eyes. A tall, hooded figure stood in the doorway, the light from behind him making him appear as a silhouette.

Time stood still for one heart stopping moment, then a thousand things seemed to happen at once. The dark figure began raising his arms and Annie heard Jeff shout her name. She slapped the arming switch, snatched the detonator and sprinted back towards Jeff as gunfire erupted from the two doorways. All around her students were sitting up, startled out of their sleep and some scrambling for nearby weapons. She reached the door and dove through it, skidding to a stop in the hallway and rolling onto her back in time to see Jeff slam the door shut. Gripping the detonator firmly in her hand, she pressed down hard on the trigger with her thumb.

A muffled thud sounded from behind the door, followed by shrieks of terror and dismay. Annie didn't even have time to sit up before Jeff was hovering over her.

"Are you ok? Are you hit?" he asked frantically.

"I'm ok, I… I don't think I'm hit," she replied shakily as her heart continued hammering within her chest. A quick inspection confirmed that she was correct. "Who was that guy?"

"Must be the Terminator…" Jeff grumbled.

"Do you think we got him with the bomb blast?" Annie asked hopefully.

"No," the disappointment was evident in Jeff's voice. "He must have seen the bomb; he pulled his door shut right before I did." Satisfied that Annie was ok, Jeff turned to more practical matters, and glanced around quickly. "He's going to be coming around after us, we need to move. Where are your guns?"

Annie froze. She hadn't had time to grab them before fleeing the room and they were now doubtlessly covered in paint. She pointed meekly towards the door.

Jeff cursed under his breath. "I dropped one of mine trying to get the door shut, so we're down to one it seems."

Annie checked to see if the guard they'd eliminated had left his gun, but he hadn't. She silently berated herself for not thinking of it, but at the time they'd had no need of it. "Let's check the entrance. Maybe Annie Kim left hers."

They hurried back to the stairwell and jogged quickly down the steps. They burst through the door into the first floor hallway with Annie following directly behind Jeff. They hadn't taken two steps before he tensed suddenly and came to an abrupt halt. She peeked around him to see the black clad figure striding slowly towards them from the building entrance, a rifle cradled in his hands. For the first time she noticed that his face was covered by a mask, from behind which dark, malevolent eyes peered out at them.

In the blink of an eye Jeff's arms snapped up and he fired.

The gun clicked and… nothing happened.

Annie felt her stomach drop. The black figure continued striding implacably towards them.

He raised the rifle.

"Annie, run," Jeff shouted. "RUN!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **Paintball finale. Hope you enjoy it! As always, your comments are greatly appreciated!

Jeff shouldered his way through a set of double doors and they rushed into yet another eerie room made to look like some sort of grotesque warning to other robots. This was the third one they'd encountered on this level already. The basement section of the CPU lab was deceptively large, and oddly enough, much larger than the two floors above. They raced across the room and made for a door Jeff thought would lead them back to one of the stairwells up. Their only hope was to find a weapon – any weapon – they could use to fire paint at an assailant. And with the arsenal upstairs taken out of play, that meant getting outside.

They'd just about reached the door when the now familiar sound of the Terminator's rifle sounded behind them and paint splotches blossomed on the door frame. Jeff cursed and they ran towards another door in a low crouch and went through it. The layout of the basement made absolutely no sense to Jeff; it was as if Borchert himself had designed the level as a kind of robotic funhouse. Random doors were all over the place along with hallways that led nowhere or back where they began.

He didn't know where they were going, but he was pretty sure their pursuer did. There'd been multiple opportunities for him to have finished them off, but so far all he'd done was use his gun to prevent them from going in certain directions.

_The bastard is hunting us. Herding us towards something._

Jeff had played his share of cat and mouse games when he was a lawyer. But he'd always been the cat. He was now finding that he did **not** enjoy being on the other side of things.

They found themselves in an enormous room filled with row after row of workbenches, each with various equipment on them including circuitry, robotic arms and machine presses. Jeff surveyed the room quickly; there only appeared to be one other exit, which was directly across the room. If the Terminator had driven them in here, then he must have meant for them to go out the other end. But Jeff had had enough of running where his opponent wanted him to. It was time to change things up.

He grabbed a nearby folding chair and jammed it under door handle. It wouldn't hold him for long, but hopefully it would be long enough. He then jogged to what looked like some sort of control panel and began flipping random switches. As he'd hoped, some of the mechanical arms sprang to life and began moving around in haphazard patterns.

"What are you doing?" Annie asked as Jeff continued flipping switches.

"Cover. So he can't track us." The door they'd come through shook as the Terminator began trying to force it open. "Come on." Jeff grabbed Annie's hand and led her into the maze of workbenches.

They found a spot somewhere near the middle of the room that would allow them flexibility in potential escape routes, but also provided a view of both sides of the room so they could see which path their adversary was taking.

The banging on the door was getting louder. Jeff turned to Annie and whispered in a rush. "Hopefully he'll think we already went through the other door. But if he doesn't, then I'll draw him off and you get out back the way we came."

"Jeff, no!" Annie protested. "We have to stick to-"

"We don't have time to argue!" Jeff cut her off. "You're the one they're after, you're the one that has to make it. Besides, you're the sleek, graceful cheetah, remember?" Annie huffed out a laugh, but remained doubtful. "Annie, listen and understand. That Terminator is out there. It can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity or remorse or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are covered in paint."

Annie looked at him fearfully, her voice trembling. "Can you stop it?"

"I don't know…" Jeff sighed. "Without a weapon, I don't know. But you need to get away. Do it, Annie. Promise me."

There was a hint of that look Annie would get now and again which said she was about to put up a fight and refuse to back down. But it quickly faded into a look of sadness and she gave a resigned nod.

A loud crash signified that the door had finally given way. Jeff and Annie tensed and turned towards the entrance, peeking through the scattered junk to try to keep track of their nemesis. They could see him stride into the room and stop short when he noticed the whizzing and whirring mechanical arms. His gaze swept slowly over the room before he began advancing deliberately down the side of the room to Jeff and Annie's left.

He moved from row to row, methodically searching. As he neared the center of the room, Jeff and Annie scooted quietly around to the end of the workbench they were hiding behind and snuck to the other side as the Terminator passed. When he continued on his search, Jeff let out a tiny sigh of relief.

Jeff glanced at Annie and nodded towards the door then held up one finger to indicate to wait a moment. She nodded resolutely, a small smile beginning to spread across her lips. He looked back to where the Terminator had nearly reached the other end of the room. Jeff raised himself up into a crouch and prepared to sprint for the door.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are."

Jeff froze and his gaze shot towards Annie, whose eyes had gone as wide as only Annie's could.

"I know you're in here." The voice sounded like whetstone being scraped over a blade. "You can't hide forever."

Jeff locked eyes with Annie. "Get ready to run," he said in a barely audible whisper.

Annie looked distraught but determined as she reached out and gave his hand a squeeze, her fingers lingering just slightly as their hands drifted apart. "I love you," she mouthed.

Jeff gave her a lopsided grin and took off in the other direction, keeping himself crouched low and below the level of the workbenches. He'd be walking a fine line. He needed to be seen in order to draw the Terminator away from Annie, but if he was seen too soon, he'd get himself cornered. He paused after traversing three rows and took a peek above the bench he was hidden behind. The Terminator was now wading through the rows of workbenches instead of staying to the sides. Jeff glanced back at Annie and waved for her to start moving. She gave him a thumbs up and started crawling towards the end of the room at which they'd entered.

Jeff waited until the Terminator had passed the row he was in and then darted down a few more rows and over a couple aisles. He couldn't see where Annie was anymore, but he figured the Terminator was roughly equidistant between them.

It was time.

Jeff moved from one bench to another, this time purposely making a scuffing noise along the floor as if he'd tripped. Once he was behind the next bench, he peeked through some boxes at the base of the bench to see if his bait had been taken.

The Terminator was still moving away from him, however, towards the spot where he and Annie had initially been hiding. Jeff felt sure that the noise he'd made had been loud enough to hear, but perhaps the white noise from all the mechanical arms had drowned it out. He cast an eye over the various junk that was cluttering up the surface of the workbench he was hidden behind. He picked out a set of metal tongs and knocked them off the edge. The tongs made a clanging noise when they struck the floor, loud enough that there was no way that anyone in the room could have missed it.

He peered back across the room, but the Terminator had now passed their hiding spot and was still moving inexorably away from him. There was no way Jeff could be any more conspicuous without jumping up and yelling "Here I am!" It didn't make sense that he'd be ignored unless-

_Shit!_

Unless the Terminator knew that Annie was there.

Jeff felt a rush of anxiety and took off back towards the other end of the room, risking a peek up to see where his enemy was. The Terminator was getting near the far corner of the rows of workbenches. It wouldn't be long until Annie ran out of places to hide. Jeff closed the gap as quickly and quietly as he could. He didn't know exactly what he was going to do, but he had to do something. Maybe if he could sneak up behind him and move fast enough, he could grab the Terminator before he could get a shot off and take his gun away. This guy wasn't actually a machine after all, and Jeff was stronger than most. It wasn't a great plan, but it would have to do.

He moved as swiftly as he dared, and soon there was only one workbench separating him from the Terminator. It was not a moment too soon either, as there was only one workbench left for Annie to be hiding behind. Jeff's heart was racing and he took a deep breath to steady himself, then sprang from his hiding spot.

No sooner had he stood than the Terminator spun in one swift motion and trained his rifle on Jeff's chest. Jeff felt frozen in place, there was nowhere for him to go, no possible escape. The mask covering the Terminator's face betrayed no emotion, but the eyes behind it were smiling maliciously at him. All the adrenaline had drained out of Jeff and he felt weak and helpless.

"You were pretty good, I'll give you that," the voice behind the mask ground out. "But I'm better." One gloved hand moved up towards his face, but the gun never wavered. The gloved hand slowly removed the mask and tossed it aside.

Jeff felt his jaw clench involuntarily. He recognized that oversized chin.

_Dammit, not him!_

"Not going to fake a heart attack? I'm disappointed."

The gun fired and Jeff felt a burning pain in his stomach.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Annie had to fight the urge to scream when she saw Jeff fall. She'd managed to sneak over to the other corner from where the two men were, and hadn't been in the immediate danger Jeff believed her to be in. She'd desperately tried to get his attention as he'd crossed the room, but he'd been too focused on the Terminator to notice her. Now she was alone. Alone and unarmed and without even a distraction to get her out of this cursed room.

_Why did you have to insist on splitting up, Jeff? And why did you have to be so heroic?_

The Terminator resumed his search and reached the corner he'd been heading for then turned in her direction. Annie ducked down quickly and tried to formulate a plan. She couldn't reach the door they'd entered through with the Terminator right there. Maybe if she could reach the other end fast enough, she'd be able to escape through the other door. The Terminator was being slow and methodical in his search, so she could probably reach the far end before he reached the edge of the room she was on. The room was long enough that it would be very difficult for him to hit her from that distance if she made a break for it. She didn't know what was on the other side of that door, but she couldn't play hide and seek forever. She steeled herself to execute her plan.

"It's just you and me now, Bean Allergy."

Annie suppressed a gasp. _Of course_ it was him. Who else could've cut through Abed's forces so easily? She set off, keeping herself as low to the ground as possible. But as she neared the midpoint of the aisle she was in, gunfire suddenly erupted from behind her. She instinctively launched herself for cover behind the nearest workbench. However, as she did, her right ankle rolled to the side and it felt as if a jolt of lightning had shot up her leg. A cry of pain escaped her lips before she could cut it off.

Annie leaned against the workbench she was next to and tried urgently to massage the pain out of her ankle. The pain subsided slightly, but was still pretty intense. She figured she'd probably sprained it. To make matters worse, she realized that the Terminator hadn't been shooting at her at all, but had just been trying to flush her out. Much to her chagrin, it had apparently worked.

Annie shook her head ruefully. _Sleek and graceful like a cheetah… right._

She forced herself to keep moving, though it seemed pointless. She'd only had a slim hope when she was fully mobile. And now she'd just broadcast her location and couldn't move very quickly to get away.

"Don't make this hard on yourself, Bean Allergy." The voice was much closer now. Annie dug deep and managed to scurry on to the next workbench. "Borchert still wants to talk to you. Come along nicely, and I'll make sure it goes easily for you."

Annie's ankle felt like it was on fire. Walking upright would have been difficult enough, but trying to run in a low crouch felt like torture. She refused to quit, though and kept moving as quickly as she was able.

"Come on, Bean Allergy. I know you're in pain." He doubtless thought he sounded reassuring, but there was something there that Annie just didn't trust. She risked a glance back. The Terminator was only two benches away now. She hobbled around the corner of the bench she was next to and abruptly realized she was near the edge of the workbench area. The door they'd entered through was tantalizingly close.

"Last chance. Come out now and I'll even find something to help you with your pain." His voice dropped menacingly. "But if you make me find you, I won't be so nice."

Annie was breathing hard from the exertion and the pain was starting to make her feel nauseous. Part of her wanted to just end it all. But she couldn't. She couldn't give up. Everyone was counting on her. She braced herself and put everything she had into one last burst of speed.

She'd only made it a few steps before her ankle gave out and a blinding pain tore its way up her leg. Annie collapsed onto her side, panting breathlessly and trying to shake away the stars from her vision. Her right leg didn't want to move, but she began desperately dragging herself along with her arms and her one good leg.

There was a click behind her.

She turned her head to find herself staring down the barrel of the Terminator's rifle. Annie let out a breath that was half a sob. After all they'd been through, to have it end like this…

"What is it with you?" The Terminator asked incredulously. "I mean, I'm here for the money, but you? You're not getting anything out of this. You look like you seriously injured yourself just now, and yet still you persist. Why?"

Tears were pooling in the corner of Annie's eyes, threatening to spill over. "Because this is my school. My home. My _family_. And I'm not going to let Borchert destroy it."

"Destroy it?" The Terminator snorted with laughter. "Sweetie, from what I've seen, destroying this place would be doing a favor to everyone here."

He lowered his gun and aimed it at Annie's foot.

"You're terminated, fucker."

A hand came out of nowhere and clamped down on the Terminator's shoulder. He jumped in surprise and spun to face the source of the voice. With his back now to her, Annie could see red paint starting to dribble down the Terminator's shoulder.

"What?! That doesn't count!" the Terminator sputtered. "I shot you, you can't eliminate me after you're out of the game."

Jeff stood behind the Terminator, a triumphant look on his face. "You shot me, yes. But the ball didn't break." He held up his left hand, which was covered in red paint and shards of plastic. "Until now."

"Son of a bitch!" the terminator fumed. "Screw this place, I'm out of here."

"I'll take that, thank you." Jeff grabbed the rifle from the Terminator as he moved past Jeff and stalked angrily towards the door. "Enjoy Coldplay," he called after him.

Annie's head was spinning from a combination of the pain in her leg and the rollercoaster of emotions she'd just gone through: fear, determination, hopelessness, resignation, shock, elation, relief…

She looked up to find Jeff standing over her and forced a smirk onto her lips that ended up being half a grimace. "Took you long enough."

Jeff huffed out a laugh and knelt down next to her. "Sorry, I had to sneak up behind him and you kept moving around. Are you ok?"

"I don't know," Annie said through clenched teeth. "I'm pretty sure I sprained my ankle, if not worse."

"Can you stand?"

"I'll try." Annie clasped Jeff's (paint-free) hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. She tested out putting some weight on her right ankle and winced at the sharp pain that resulted.

A look of concern covered Jeff's face. "That looks pretty bad. We've got to get you some help."

"No, Jeff, I've… I've got to finish this."

"But you can barely stand!" he protested.

Annie sighed. "If I leave and let Borchert win, then it was all for nothing." She eyed the various junk on the tables. "I'll be fine, we just need to stabilize and get compression on it. See if you can find some tape, or something like that."

"Ok, but as soon as this is over I'm taking you to the hospital." Jeff hurried off and returned a minute later carrying a roll of elastic bandage. "I found a first aid kit." He shook his head wonderingly. "This place actually has something that works the way it's supposed to, can you believe it?"

Annie gingerly removed her shoe and leaned against one of the workbenches while she allowed Jeff to wrap her ankle tightly. She managed to make it through the ordeal with only a few gasps of pain. After she was tended to and got her shoe back on, she tested it out again. The pain was still there, but she found that she could limp along without it being unbearable.

Jeff still wore a look of concern as he handed the rifle over to her. "I can't help you with the game anymore, but I'll stay fairly close. Just shout or… scream or something if you run into any killer robots."

Annie rolled her eyes but still smiled at his concern. "Wish me luck!"

Jeff leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips, then pulled back and grinned at her. "Go get him, tiger."

Annie grinned back at him then hobbled over to the far door. She did her best to keep the limping to a minimum, lest Jeff decide he was going to give her a piggyback ride for the rest of the game.

She slipped through the door and paused for a few moments to get her bearings. When they'd entered the basement level, they'd been fleeing as quickly as they could and not paying a whole lot of attention to where they were going or where they'd been. After working out a quick search plan in her mind, she set off, but remained as vigilant as possible. She figured that by now she and Borchert must be the only two left in the game, but there was no way to be certain.

After several minutes of searching through unoccupied rooms, some empty, and others stocked full of more mechanical limbs, she found it. A hallway that was lit with a peculiar red-tinted light and one large metal door at the end of it that looked almost like the entrance to a vault. Annie paused at the door and considered.

_If Abed was here, he'd probably say that it looks like I'm about to enter into a boss battle. This has to be where Borchert is._

Annie grasped the door handle and took a deep breath to steady her nerves, then turned the handle. She pushed on the door, but it was exceptionally heavy and she had to lean against it with all the strength she could muster with her one good leg to get it to budge. Slowly, but surely, the door began to swing open. But once started, the momentum of the door carried it onward and it crashed loudly against the door stopper. Annie winced and ducked for cover behind the doorjamb.

After a few moments' silence, she dared a peek around into the room. It was poorly lit, but she could make out several workspaces filled with clutter and various mechanical paraphernalia. There were more robotic limbs scattered around as well. Annie figured this had to be Borchert's personal lab.

She took a few cautious steps into the room and swept her gaze around nervously. She didn't see anything that was an obvious threat, but her heart was thundering away, nevertheless. After a few more moments of silence, she started to relax slightly and turned to search for a light switch.

A sudden snort from behind had her almost jumping out of her skin and she spun towards the source of the noise. Not detecting any movement, she crept forward, rifle at the ready. After a few tiny steps, she finally saw him. A raggedy figure that was curled up in a blanket on the floor over by the far wall. Another snort emerged followed by a wheeze and Borchert rolled onto his back, smacking his lips together a few times before beginning to snore loudly.

Annie felt a wave of joy surge through her. This was going to be easy.

She wanted to savor this though, wanted to see his face when she ended it.

Annie continued creeping forward, her rifle locked onto the sleeping Borchert.

She had just passed the midpoint of the room when suddenly a light flicked on to her left. Two lights. Annie turned in one quick motion, but what she saw she couldn't comprehend.

Two flood lights backlit what appeared to be some sort of assembly station. A humanoid figure stood slouched over in the center, with a myriad of wires protruding from it. Annie gasped softly and took a few steps closer, mesmerized by what was in front of her. As she neared the edge of the stand, she began to hear what sounded like a high pitched whine. Annie glanced around trying to locate the source of the noise, but all at once the stand's supports lit up with a series of indicator lights and several motors buzzed to life.

Before she could figure out what was happening, the figure on the stand jerked violently. Annie stumbled backwards in surprise, causing her to step awkwardly on her injured ankle. She cried out in pain as she collapsed to the floor, dropping the rifle in order to break her fall. The figure straightened, mechanical servos whirring as it moved. The face turned towards her, blood red eyes burning to life behind a grinning death's head.

The eyes focused on her, pitiless balls of fire that seemed to look straight through her.

The figure took a step forward, its hand reaching out for her.

Annie screamed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jeff kicked the door, flinging it open with a crash. The noise startled the room's previously sleeping occupant into consciousness. Jeff strode purposefully over to the couch where the occupant was still lying.

"Move," he said brusquely.

"Oh, um, of course, Jeffrey." The Dean jumped up off his office couch. "What's going on? Why are you carrying-"

"We'll get to that. But right now I need you to call 911." Jeff laid the unconscious form down on the couch. His arms were burning from the effort. It was a long way from the CPU Lab to the Dean's office. He straightened and stretched his back. The Dean hadn't budged. "Now."

"911?" the Dean sputtered. "Is everything ok? Is the game over? Is-"

"Just do it!" Jeff snapped.

The dean jumped and scurried over to his desk. "What should I tell them?" he asked as he picked up the phone. "Do we need an ambulance?"

"No," a voice said from the doorway, "the police."

Jeff turned to see Annie limp into the room, leaning heavily on Abed's shoulder. He hurried over to relieve Abed of his duties, and Annie looked up at Jeff gratefully as she slipped an arm around him.

"Police?!" the Dean gasped as he began dialing. "What happened?"

"Borchert has some kind of killer robot he's built in the basement of the CPU lab." Jeff still wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it. "Annie was about to win the paintball game when both of them attacked us."

A strange expression crossed the Dean's face, but then the 911 operator answered. "Hello, 911? Yes, this is Dean Pelton at Greendale. Just doing our daily check-in a little early today. No issues to report." The Dean fell silent for a few moments as he listened. "Oh I agree, quite surprising. Have a nice day!"

The Dean hung up the phone as Jeff, Annie and Abed eyed him suspiciously. "Dean…" Annie said slowly.

The Dean held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Now, hold on, you three. Before we do anything rash, why don't you explain to me exactly what happened."

"What happened?" Jeff asked incredulously. "What happened is that Borchert has gone insane, that's what. And I'm not talking the normal kind of Greendale insanity here."

Annie put her hand on Jeff's chest to calm him. "What… Jeff means, is that after we took out the rest of Borchert's army, I found him sleeping in the basement of the CPU lab. It was dark and I was crossing the room to win the game when his robot turned itself on and came after me."

"I had just run into Jeff," Abed added. "He was leading me to where Annie was when we heard her scream. We ran down this long creepy hallway that had this red lighting and a giant metal door at the end. The whole thing definitely looked like someplace a boss would be lurking." For some reason Jeff couldn't understand, a self-satisfied look came over Annie. "We entered the room and Annie was down on the floor and the robot was going after her. Jeff and I rushed it and I think we caught it by surprise because we knocked it over pretty easily."

"You knocked it over?" The Dean seemed horrified.

"It was that or watch it murder Annie," Abed said matter-of-factly. "I prefer to think of our show as a comedy rather than a Shakespearean tragedy, so we couldn't let her die so soon after she and Jeff finally got together. Besides, Sarah Connor isn't supposed to be killed by the Terminator and Annie's too popular with audiences to die in such a gruesome manner." Annie's self-satisfied look had quickly been replaced by a rather disturbed one.

The Dean, meanwhile, seemed to be having a minor panic attack. He was waving his hands frantically and rapidly muttering "Oh no."

Annie turned away from Abed's dispassionate analysis of potential narratives for her death and regarded the Dean. "Dean, are you ok?"

"I can't believe you knocked her over," the Dean whined. "Oh, I hope she's ok…"

"Wait, you knew about this?" Jeff demanded.

"Of course-" The figure on the couch groaned as he began regaining consciousness. The Dean darted over to the couch and started using a magazine to fan the disheveled individual. "Russell? Russell can you hear me? It's Craig. Are you ok?"

Borchert moaned and his eyes fluttered open. "Ohhhh… what… what happened?"

The Dean straightened and turned to face the trio, his hands planted firmly on his hips. "That wasn't a killer robot down there. That's a project that Russell has been working on all summer under my supervision."

Borchert raised his head weakly off the couch. "Is… is Raquel ok?"

"Raquel?!" Jeff, Annie and Abed exclaimed in unison.

"Yes, Raquel," the Dean said impatiently. "Russell has decided to invest his considerable fortune in Greendale, and is building a state-of-the-art laboratory in the CPU lab. Greendale is going to become a national leader in robotics engineering." The Dean gave them a significant look. "So _please_ tell me that you haven't destroyed his prototype."

"I think she'll be fine," Borchert said in his nasally whine as he propped himself up on the couch. "I designed Raquel to be tough. I knew she might get herself into trouble if I made her mobile."

Annie shook her head quickly. "Wait wait wait. If all this is true, then why did… she… come after me?"

Borchert looked confused. "Come after you? Oh dear, no, Raquel is equipped with motion sensors, so if you walked past she would have come out of power saving mode to say hello."

"She didn't say anything, though!" Annie protested. "She just started walking towards me with those horrible red eyes…"

Borchert scrunched his face in annoyance. "Grr, her voice processor must be on the fritz again. It seems to happen sometimes when she's been powered down for too long."

"Wait a second," Jeff interjected, "when we came into the room, Annie was on the floor and… Raquel… was reaching for her."

"Of course!" Borchert lit up. "I've programmed her with a standard set of courtesy subroutines. If Annie here had fallen, Raquel would offer to help her up."

"Help me… up?" Annie looked completely bewildered, which was exactly how Jeff felt.

"I have a question." Abed raised one finger as he spoke. "Why program a robot for courtesy and then make it look like the skeleton of a T-101?"

"Oh… yes. Apologies for that. Her facial features are on backorder." Borchert grew steadily more excited as he expounded on his design plans. "Just wait until you see her. She's going to going to absolutely perfect! I'm having her hair made out of pure gold. And she's going to be… fully functional."

Jeff shuddered involuntarily and felt Annie do the same at his side.

"I have a question too," the Dean interjected. "When you came in here, Russell was unconscious. How exactly did that happen, hmm?" He directed his gaze at Jeff.

"I- I thought…" Jeff stammered, "the robot, the weird lighting, the creepy room… I mean, he was running at us and yelling and-" Jeff was still trying to process all the new information. At the time, it had seemed so urgent and everything had seemed to fit… "The Terminator…" Seen in the proper context, he was starting to feel rather foolish. "Sometimes I still lose track of how big I'm getting," he mumbled.

"I still don't…" the Dean raised his eyebrows suggestively. The room descended into an uncomfortable silence.

Jeff suddenly snapped out of his reverie as something occurred to him. "Hold on!" he exclaimed. "What about him hiring all the students to help him win the paintball game? Even if that wasn't a killer robot, he was still planning to take over the school!"

"Take over the school?" Borchert looked and sounded appalled. "Why would I want to do that?"

Jeff had shifted into full lawyer mode. "What other reason could you have to spend so much money on trying to win a paintball game? We know you took the old copy of the Greendale bylaws that would give you the power to insert yourself as dean permanently and remake the school's mission."

Borchert looked thoroughly nonplussed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Save it. We visited the archives, the records are missing." Jeff folded his arms across his chest in judgment. "The Dean told us you were after the prize in the paintball game, and being both Dean and Vice-Dean would allow you to revert to the old bylaws."

Borchert scratched his head but before he could say more, the Dean cut in. "Oh goodness, is that what you thought I meant? No, no, after that report Annie did I had the old copies of the bylaws destroyed to ensure they could never be used again."

Jeff and Annie exchanged confused glances. "But…" Annie faltered for a moment, "then why was he trying to kidnap me?"

"And he kidnapped Rachel!" Abed added quickly. "I still want to know what you've done with her."

Borchert was starting to look dazed from all of the allegations being lobbed at him. "Kidnap? I didn't tell anyone to kidnap you. I simply said that I was interested in speaking with you to get your advice. And I let your friend Rachel go as soon as they brought her to me. I believe she went home."

"But, Chang said-"

"Chang?" Borchert sighed. "I was worried it might be a mistake to send him. He's… unstable. I'm afraid he and Mr. Butt were rather competitive with each other and a bit overzealous."

"Who's Mr. Butt?" Jeff snickered.

"Harold. The professional I hired. I thought for sure he would win the game for me, but the best laid schemes of mice and men, as they say."

In the moment, Jeff couldn't remember ever being more excited and his confusion over the day's events was temporarily forgotten. He gaped at Annie for a moment, then exclaimed "His name is Harry Butt!"

Annie grinned back at him. "No wonder he always uses a pseudonym!"

"I just checked my phone," Abed cut in. "Rachel left me several messages. Borchert is telling the truth."

Jeff's smile slowly faded. "So… If Borchert isn't building killer robots or trying to take over the school, then what the hell have we been doing for the past-" he checked his watch, "twenty-one hours?" He looked around at each person in the room, but Annie and Abed had nothing more to offer. Borchert had pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and began loudly blowing his nose. Jeff's gaze settled on the Dean, who was pointedly avoiding eye contact.

"Dean…" Jeff grumbled, "You begged us to keep Borchert from winning. You told us it would be a disaster if he won."

The Dean glanced furtively between Jeff, Annie and Abed's accusing gazes. "Well… what is a disaster, really?"

"If you were lying to us, you're about to find out," Jeff growled.

The Dean held up his hands defensively. "Now, Jeffrey, I didn't lie to you. I'm just saying that it all depends on your point of view. There's a spectrum really. I mean, one man's disaster is another man's-"

"Stop." Jeff found his patience suddenly hanging by a thread and he could feel Annie beginning to rub his shoulder in an effort to pacify him. For the sake of his sanity, he decided to take things one at a time. "You said you hadn't read all of the Greendale bylaws," he ground out as calmly as he could. "Which ones were you referring to?"

"The um…" the Dean looked down and placed his hands flatly at his sides. "The winner gets to use my office," he finished quickly.

"Bylaw number one-three-seven-two, section three, paragraph three," Borchert recited. "Space officially designated for administrative use shall not be reassigned or re-designated on a temporary basis. So since this space has been designated as the Dean's office, it has to remain the Dean's office, no matter who the Dean is and for how long. Unless it's being permanently changed."

"Your office…" Jeff said slowly. "And why does it matter if Borchert got to use your office?"

"It's not so much the office as what's _in_ the office," the Dean said evasively.

"He won't let me borrow any of his costumes," Borchert whined. "I think some of them would look really good on Raquel, but he won't-"

"I told you, Russell, they're not costumes!" the Dean yelped. "I put time into what I do wardrobe wise! Each outfit was carefully selected to represent a specific aspect of my personality or a meaningful time in my life."

"Let me get this straight," Jeff said in a quietly menacing tone, "all of this was about your stupid costumes?"

"Outfits!" the Dean howled. "Have you _seen_ the shoulders on Raquel?! She'd _stretch_ them! Helllooo! _DISASTER!_"

Jeff felt his face twitch. But mercifully, Annie cut in before he could do something he might later regret. "Mr. Borchert, I just have one last question. What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Borchert brightened. "Oh! Well you wrote a marvelous paper for one your classes a year or two ago. Fashion for the Nerdy Girl, I believe it was. And Raquel is nothing if not a nerdy girl. I was hoping you could help me with accessories and such."

"Awwww!" Annie cooed. "I'd love to!"

With that, the final piece of the puzzle fell into place. Jeff didn't know why he was surprised. Greendale was the only place he knew of where this sort of thing ought to be expected.

"Well this certainly was a crazy adventure!" the Dean said hopefully. "Hooray for Greendale capers! … Right?"

"Dean." Jeff's initial anger had faded and now he was just annoyed. And exhausted. "We've been running around for almost twenty four hours thinking we were in a fight to save the school. Annie badly sprained her ankle. We've barely slept. The only thing I've eaten in the past twelve hours is a few stale crackers and some Slim Jims. And to top it all off, we all gave up-" Jeff stopped short as a thought occurred to him. He looked down at Annie and whispered "Annie, did you ever actually shoot Borchert with a paintball?"

Annie gave him a confused look and shook her head.

Jeff turned to Abed. He'd been more than a little surprised when he'd been following after Annie and the air vent next to him had suddenly opened to reveal a dust covered Abed. His friend had explained that he'd been hiding in the air ducts ever since the majority of his forces had been wiped out, and that Jeff and Annie's battle with the Terminator had woken him up. He'd been leading Abed to Annie when they heard the scream.

"Abed, can I have your paintball gun please?" Abed shrugged and handed it over. "Thank you." Abed fired finger guns at Jeff. Everyone was now looking at him with expressions ranging from curious to suspicious.

"With all the commotion it never occurred to me until now, but Annie never actually finished Borchert off. Which means… the game is still going." Jeff looked slowly at each person in the room in turn. "Now, Borchert here was willing to pay every student on campus five hundred dollars each for a shot at the Dean's costumes." Jeff brandished the paintball gun. "So what we're going to do now is have a little negotiation."

The Dean was aghast. "Jeffrey! You wouldn't!"

"Dean, I think by now you should know me well enough to know that that isn't true."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jeff let out a large yawn as he finished scrubbing the last of the pots he'd used to make his and Annie's dinner. He'd managed to catch a short nap in between taking Annie to the hospital, going to the gym and then picking her up from Greendale again, but he was still well short of the sleep he'd usually get. Annie was working on even less, but somehow she never seemed to be affected by it. He was thankful that there were no classes in the upcoming week so he didn't need to head to work the next day. Nevertheless, his plans still involved heading to bed early as soon as Annie finished in the-

"So what are you going to do with your share of the money?" Annie called out from the bathroom.

Jeff frowned. There were plenty of things he _wanted_ to do with it. Like put a down payment on a new car. But instead he said "Take you out for a nice dinner, and then probably pay a bunch of bills. Exciting right?"

Annie's laugh wafted out into the kitchen. It was a sound he never got tired of. "Well the dinner sounds fun! And look at you being all responsible. For what it's worth, I was proud of you today."

He didn't know why, but the last words made Jeff feel better about himself than he thought they ought to. He still rolled his eyes though. Everyone had been rather surprised when Jeff hadn't merely milked Borchert for as much money as he could and then handed him the game. Truth be told, Jeff was a little surprised himself. But instead he'd worked out a deal between all parties wherein the Dean could pick out a few outfits that would be off limits, Borchert wouldn't be allowed to pick any that were obviously too small, and Annie would be both the arbitrator and assist Borchert with accessories and such. To make Annie's power binding, she had fired one shot each into Borchert and Abed's shoes. Borchert, of course, had shown his gratitude in the only way he seemed to know how: financially.

"Is Abed done peeing himself over the sword yet?" That had been the first thing Abed had ordered with his share of the loot. Jeff was apprehensive about what other new dangers might soon await him on his visits to apartment 303. He fleetingly contemplated investing in some body armor.

"Give it a week."

Jeff chuckled to himself as he dried his hands on a towel, then carefully hung it back over the handle of the oven and straightened the edges. "How's your ankle?"

Annie's voice came from directly behind him. "Why don't you come find out?"

Jeff turned and felt his mouth drop open. Annie was leaned into the doorjamb, favoring her injured ankle which was crossed casually over her good one. Her feet were encased in shiny black ankle-high boots, the tops of which were overlapped by neatly pressed, dark navy blue pants that closely hugged her hips and were held in place by a thick black leather belt decked with the night stick, walkie-talkie and handcuffs she'd been given by the Greendale PD. Tucked into the pants was a close fitting, short sleeved police shirt that was only buttoned halfway up, the top flaps purposefully pulled open ever so slightly to provide a glimpse of her black lace bra and just a hint of cleavage. His gaze continued upwards past the sly smile that covered her lips to where her eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark aviator sunglasses.

"Are those my sunglasses?" It was an effort to keep his voice from cracking.

Her hand moved up slowly and grabbed the brim of her police hat to tip it downwards a hair. "Think I can pull them off?"

Jeff took a couple casual steps closer to her. "I suppose I'm not the only one. Now what can I do for you, officer?"

Annie pinched one of the hinges of the glasses and lowered them until her eyes were revealed. They were practically smoldering with desire.

"We had reports of excessive sexiness today. Some guy sacrificed himself to save his girlfriend in a paintball game and then rescued her when she was attacked by a killer robot."

Jeff cocked his head to the side. "That doesn't sound like something I'd do."

"Well you fit the description."

"Who's bringing the charges? I have a right to face my accuser."

Annie's eyes darted back and forth quickly. "It was… um… me."

"My accuser is the arresting officer? That's a conflict of interests. I can get this dismissed in ten minutes. You haven't even read me my-"

"JEFF! You're _ruining_ it! This was supposed to be sexy and-"

Jeff swiftly closed the last few steps between them and cut her off with a kiss. Annie quickly got over her frustration and he soon found her tongue eagerly exploring his mouth. Her arms began working their way around his neck but before she could lock him in place he pulled back and grinned at her. Annie peered at him impatiently from behind the sunglasses.

"You're sexy when you get flustered."

"Oh," Annie said in a small voice as her smile turned shy. Jeff bent in one smooth motion and picked her up in his arms, then carried her towards his bedroom.

Sleep would have to wait.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: **So, this chapter was completed a week or two ago, but I purposely waited to post it. I wanted to get a good chunk of the subsequent chapter completed first. In part so that I could tweak a couple things, but also, well... I think some of you are going to be mad at me for this one.

A note on the timeline in case it isn't clear: paintball took place four weeks after Jeff and Annie returned from Australia (the last part of chapter 18 took place Sunday evening). The first section of this chapter takes place the Friday after paintball and the rest picks up three weeks after paintball.

As always, your comments are greatly appreciated!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jeff sat leaned back in his office chair, his feet propped up on his desk, skimming the last couple paragraphs of his lesson plan for his first class of the semester next Monday. Annie had made him promise that he'd do it, so he'd tried. But halfway through he'd started getting that antsy feeling of impending doom that seemed to accompany the start of every semester and he could feel the beginnings of the familiar tightness in the chest. Jeff closed his eyes and took a deep breath, forcing down the mental image of the bottle of scotch that was stashed in the drawer of his desk. He dropped his feet to the floor, tossed the lesson plan on his desk, and then logged onto his computer to check his email.

He quickly cleared his inbox of spam, including at least a dozen of the Dean's "great idea" emails for how to improve Greendale and Chang's daily ranking of Annie and Britta. After that, he typed out a couple responses to legitimate messages, the most important being the email from Shirley detailing her move and containing pictures of the Bennett family's new setup in Mr. Butcher's residence. He was about to shut down the computer when he felt that niggling but insistent pull again. His eyes drifted down to the internet browser and soon he was clicking on his newest bookmark. The one that he had titled: Washington DC jobs.

There were more than a few prominent law firms in DC, and even a few that he thought might allow him to retain his soul. But Jeff also found himself highly intrigued by Annie's lobbyist suggestion. Half the job seemed like it was schmoozing with Senators, Congress members and other important functionaries. The beauty of it was that you could lobby for either side of any issue, and Jeff Winger's superpower had always been the ability to assume any position that suited his purpose.

He'd only meant to take a quick glance, but before he knew it almost an hour had passed. He was a long way from actually pulling the trigger and trying to make a move, but it felt therapeutic to know that there were, in fact, options out there. In the meantime, there was another idea he'd been toying with. Something he'd enjoy more than teaching, but would also keep him at Greendale with Annie and Abed and Britta. He decided that now was as good of a time as any to see whether it would work. Jeff shut down his computer and made his way over to a familiar office door. He paused and took a breath, then knocked.

"Come in!" Jeff opened the door and strode into the office. "Oh, hello Jeffrey! I thought you would've already gone home for the weekend."

Jeff dropped heavily into one of the chairs opposite the Dean's desk. "That's next on my to-do list. But first there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

The Dean gasped. "Are you volunteering to be part of the trial run for the full body scanners at campus entry points? You can't be too careful about security these days, you know. I'll have to oversee it of course, and probably keep copies of one or two scans just for reference purposes..."

Jeff rolled his eyes. "No, but it's sort of related to that. Dean, how often does this school get sued?"

The Dean's obvious disappointment faded into a pensive look. After several moments of silence Jeff cleared his throat in an effort to prompt a response. The Dean cocked his head to the side and hummed. "I'm trying to decide between incessantly and perpetually."

"Those are synonyms."

"Is incestually a word?"

"If it is, it's not one you want to use."

"We'll just go with a lot, then. Why do you ask?"

Jeff looked the Dean directly in the eye. "How would you feel about retaining legal counsel?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Annie was bustling around trying to finish getting ready for her date with Jeff. She tightened her belt with one hand while running a brush through her hair with the other and swishing around a mouthful of mouthwash. It was two weeks into the semester and recently it too often seemed like she was trying to do three things at once. One of the nice things about dating Jeff Winger, however, was that he took even longer grooming himself than she did. So she never had to worry about an impatient boyfriend pestering her about when she'd be ready to leave.

She spit out the mouthwash and set the brush aside before touching up her makeup and refastening her ankle brace. She still had to limp around because of her injury, but the worst of it had passed. And thankfully she had finally been able to trade in the walking boot for a smaller brace that actually allowed her to wear normal shoes. Tonight Jeff was fulfilling his promise to take her out for a nice dinner with Borchert's thank-you money and she was more than a little excited to try out her first five star restaurant. Normally she'd have put on a pair of heels for this type of place, but that just wasn't going to happen with a bum ankle so instead she found herself squeezing into a pair of dark blue flats that matched her dress.

After she was finished getting dressed, Annie grabbed her phone and found a text from Jeff that said he'd be there in about ten minutes. She opened up her calendar and did a quick accounting of her tasks for the next few days. Tomorrow (Monday) she had two morning classes and one in the afternoon, but on this particular day she also had a routine doctor's checkup and in the evening she'd have to put the finishing touches on her first ballistics lab project. Taking six courses, dating Jeff, plus her Save Greendale committee responsibilities didn't leave her a lot of free time, but she made a mental promise that if she got her lab done early she'd reward herself with a sleepover at Jeff's.

The Save Greendale committee had undergone some turnover what with Shirley and Hickey's departure. Chang had become a permanent member and the Dean had hired a woman named Francesca Dart to help out in the aftermath of the rather unfortunate cafeteria roof collapse. Frankie had initially been a bit of a bull in a china shop, but things had begun to smooth over after some early friction between her and the rest of the group. Normally Annie would've bristled at someone usurping her role as committee head, but with the way her schedule was panning out she found that she was actually relieved to have someone reliable to take on some of the responsibility.

Speaking of the Save Greendale committee…

Annie stuffed her phone into her flower adorned purse and covered a yawn with her hand as she limped out to the kitchen. Typically indefatigable, her nonstop schedule had been wearing on her lately. She grabbed a small glass from the cupboard, the faucet hissing as she filled it with water, then grabbed a small bottle of pills from the corner drawer. She made her way to Abed's door and rapped out a quick 'shave and a haircut' knock.

Abed's muffled voice called for her to enter and she moved swiftly through the door. Abed was laying on his bed watching TV, the remote control held tightly in his right hand. His left foot was propped up on a small stack of pillows and was wrapped tightly with bandages. It had taken less than a week from the arrival of the replica House Vagadosh family sword for Abed to find a way to gash his foot. Annie popped open the bottle of pills and handed one to Abed along with the glass of water.

"Here, it's time to take your antibiotics."

Abed grimaced and popped the pill into his mouth before washing it down with a few swigs of water. The two of them had made for a rather sorry sight over the past few days, with each of them limping around the apartment – Annie favoring her right foot and Abed his left.

Abed finished draining the glass of water and handed it back. "Thanks Annie. Want a chocolate?" Abed gestured towards a small pile of foil wrapped chocolates on his end table.

Annie shook her head. "No thanks, I'm about to go to dinner with Jeff."

Abed glanced surreptitiously at his phone. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Annie sighed. "Jeff's taking me to the Palace Arms and I don't want to spoil my appetite."

Abed grabbed one of the chocolates off the table and held it out to her. "I really think you should have one. It will help."

Annie eyed the shiny foil. For some reason the thought of chocolate repulsed her and she suddenly felt nauseous. "Ugh… no, I can't." She paused for a moment as what Abed had said sunk in. "Wait, what do you mean it will help?"

Abed looked away. "Well you've got a big date. And it's just time, that's all. _Past_ time, really."

"What are you-" Annie gasped as her eyes bulged halfway out of their sockets. Before she could think of anything to say, her phone began belting out the lyrics to Howie Day's "Collide."

_Even the best fall down sometimes  
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme  
Out of the doubt that fills your mind  
You finally find  
You and I collide_

Jeff had arrived.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Come on," Jeff prodded, "at least have a little champagne. I got this bottle for us to share and toasting with water is just lame."

"Um," Annie tittered nervously, "I'm sorry, I can't… I… my stomach is just unsettled, that's all." It wasn't an outright lie. Her stomach _had_ been doing backflips ever since she realized the implication of Abed's offer of chocolate.

Jeff frowned. "All right, fine. But if I drink all of this then you're going to have to drive home, and I am _not_ responsible for my side-seat driving."

Annie smiled feebly and shrugged. Jeff took it for agreement and pulled his car keys out of his pocket, placing them down in front of Annie.

"I hope you realize the level of trust I'm placing in you here," Jeff said with mock seriousness. "This is the most important responsibility you have ever had."

_Oh, if you only knew…_

Jeff picked up his flute of champagne and they shared a toast to the new schoolyear, the Save Greendale committee, and Jeff's new position as the school's legal representative. The dinner that followed consisted of four courses. Annie started with a vegetable soup to try to settle her stomach whereas Jeff went with a salad, then a crab cake appetizer preceded their main courses: roasted halibut for Annie and filet mignon for Jeff. Each of the courses was elaborately presented in such a way as to make it appear that you were getting more food for the exorbitant prices than you actually were. Annie found the smallish portions a relief, however, given her lack of appetite.

Jeff was in a particularly talkative mood and Annie was content to pick at her dinner while he jabbered away about getting up to speed on Greendale's legal situation and a case he was already working on to defend the school from injury claims stemming from the paintball game. The work had invigorated Jeff and Annie couldn't remember seeing him this passionate about anything since his early semester searches for the perfect blow-off class. He seemed happy and content, which simultaneously made Annie overjoyed and all the more reluctant to shatter his mood. But as their dessert of crème brûlée and fresh fruit was placed down in front of them, she knew she had to say something.

"There's something I really-"

"So there's something important-"

They both stopped short after initially talking over each other and indicated for the other to continue.

Annie shook her head. "No, please Jeff, you first." She was grateful for the slight reprieve, but also knew that if she gave her news first, Jeff would likely never get to whatever it was he wanted to say.

"Ok, um…" Jeff cleared his throat. "Uh, so as you've probably noticed since I can't shut up about it, I'm really enjoying having actual legal work to do again. It even makes the teaching more bearable." Jeff chuckled and sat back in his chair. "Anyway, I uh, I wanted to thank you… you know… for giving me a kick in the ass."

Annie smiled widely at him. "You're welcome. I'm… I'm happy that you're happy."

Jeff pulled something out of his pocket and held it below the table. He seemed suddenly nervous. "I got you something…" Annie eyed him quizzically as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. After a moment he extended his left hand, which was gripping a small white box. "Here."

Annie reached out tentatively and took the box from Jeff. It felt light as a feather. She delicately removed the lid and peered down at the contents. Sitting on a bed of black velour was a small silver key.

Annie stared at it for a moment in puzzlement. Then suddenly her breath caught in her throat and her head snapped up to meet Jeff's gaze. He was staring at her intently, trying to gauge her reaction. "Is this…?" Annie managed weakly.

"It's a key to my apartment," Jeff said diffidently. "I just figured it would be easier, you know, since you've been spending so much time there and all…" He broke away from her gaze and stared at the table. "It's dumb, I know. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made a big deal about it."

The stinging in Annie's eyes disagreed with Jeff's assessment of the importance of the gesture and she had to struggle against the tears that had started pooling. She clutched the box tightly to her chest with her right hand and reached the other out to take hold of his. His eyes drifted back up to meet with hers again. "Jeff…" she said shakily, "this is the nicest thing anyone has ever given me."

Jeff let out a sigh of relief and his smile finally seemed to relax. "Well maybe I overshot then. I was going for something more along the lines of 'convenient and lightly sentimental.'"

Annie huffed out a laugh and gazed at him fondly. She could see through the act and he knew it. But she allowed him to keep up the pretense.

"So, uh, what was it you wanted to tell me?"

Annie's anxiety came rushing back in an instant. For a few blissful moments she had actually been able to forget.

"Ummm… I… I'm not really sure how to say this. I want to stress that I don't know anything for certain yet, but I…" Annie felt Jeff squeeze her hand and she realized she'd fallen into a dazed silence. She refocused her attention on him, he was wearing a look of mild concern, but she doubted he had any idea what was in store for him.

"I'm late."

Annie held her breath.

Jeff's forehead crinkled and the concerned look was replaced by a perplexed one. "Late for what?"

"Jeff, nooo," Annie whined. As she repeated the two little words, her eyes went wide to emphasize the second one. "I'm _late_."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The unseasonably cold night air felt like a slap in the face after the warmth of the restaurant. Jeff tore at his collar, undoing the top button and loosening the tie that seemed to be strangling him. He grasped a nearby railing with both hands and leaned over as if to vomit over the side. He wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't. He closed his eyes and lowered his chin to his chest in an effort to get his head to stop spinning.

_I'm not ready for this. I'm not ready for this. I'm not ready for this._

_This can't be happening._

_God, I am SO not ready for this!_

Everything had been going perfectly up until 83 seconds ago. The restaurant was really posh, the food was incredible, Annie looked amazing… even the stupid key had been a hit. But then… then the meaning of those two little words had sunk in.

_I'm late._

The whole world had seemed like it was collapsing on top of his chest and the restaurant walls felt as though they had taken on an exaggerated convex shape, bowing inward to smother him. The need to get outside into the open air had been overpowering and ultimately irresistible.

_I'm late._

He wasn't ready to be a father. He'd only recently discovered that he was ready to be a serious boyfriend. This was a completely different level of responsibility. He'd thought about wanting to have kids. He'd thought about wanting to have kids with Annie. But this was just too real. He didn't know the first thing about childcare or how to take an infant and help mold them into an articulate and functioning adult. Hell, _he_ was barely an articulate and functioning adult himself. Failure was all but certain.

_I'm late._

This just didn't fit with his life right now. He was only just getting himself reestablished in law and he still had teaching responsibilities. He didn't have time to go shopping for cribs and strollers and clothes, let alone actually care for a baby once it arrived. And what about Annie? Would she move in with him? He wasn't sure he had the financial wherewithal to support himself, Annie _and_ a child, not to mention the stress this would put on their still fledgling relationship.

_I'm late._

This wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't part of his plan. Not yet anyway. He'd wanted some time to be _with_ Annie first. Up until now everything had been going better than he could have possibly imagined. But they'd been together for less than two months. After five years of dancing around it, they'd finally gotten together and he'd… well… he'd wanted her to himself for longer. And then maybe… someday…

_I'm late._

Annie had been abnormally quiet and jittery all night. Now he knew why. Only after he'd given her the key had she seemed like herself for a few brief moments. But then he'd asked about what she'd started to tell him and she transformed again. In his mind's eye, he could still see the look in her eyes as she began speaking. She'd been hesitant, evasive, nervous. She'd been… scared.

_You selfish prick._

All his thoughts had been consumed with how this news affected _him_, how it affected _his_ life, and how it affected _his_ plans. Well what about _Annie's_ plans? Annie wanted to get her second degree, intern for the FBI, and make her mark on the world. And Jeff had never doubted that she would. The idea of Annie Edison not accomplishing her goals had just been… inconceivable to him. And now… he'd fucked it up. He'd wrecked her plans and taken her dreams away from her. In the end it turned out that the unstoppable Annie Edison could only be stopped by one thing: Jeff Winger.

She'd been afraid. Afraid of what the future might hold, afraid of what it could mean for the two of them, afraid of what his reaction might be. And what had he done? He'd bolted. Bolted like the coward that he was. Left her sitting by herself, literally unable to run after him because of her ankle. The woman he loved and future mother of his child had needed him more than ever, and he ran away.

And now she was sitting in a restaurant, alone and afraid.

He had never felt so ashamed in all his life. He had to go back.

Slowly but surely, he forced himself to let go of the railing. The cold of the metal had seeped into the joints of his hands and getting his knuckles to unbend felt like prying open a set of rusty hinges. He stood up straight and began trudging back towards the entrance to the restaurant. Somehow he felt like every step ought to have been accompanied by a dirge. He opened the front door and moved into the atrium. As the tingling of his skin signaled the returning warmth, Jeff looked through the glass pane separating the atrium from the main dining area. He could see Annie sitting at their table, one hand supporting her forehead and the other using a spoon to aimlessly stir her water. She looked so small and vulnerable.

He had to go to her. Jeff took a deep breath and desperately tried to prepare himself. He didn't have the first clue about what to say to her, but "I'm sorry" was probably a good place to start.

"Hello, Jeff," a female voice said from his side, "long time no see."

Jeff turned and froze as soon as he saw the source of the voice. He wanted to run again, but his legs seemed to be rooted in place.

"Kate," he said tersely, "what are you doing here?"

"Getting dinner." Kate's breezy voice had always been accompanied by a light laugh, as if she was perpetually amused by the world around her. He'd always found it intoxicating. At least he hadn't taken that away from her. "That's still legal in this state, yes?"

"Of course, I just…" Jeff's mind had gone blank. What do you say to a woman you abandoned?

Kate let out another airy and carefree laugh. "Relax, Jeff. I got over being mad at you a long time ago. I'm with someone else now, and I'm happy."

Jeff breathed an internal sigh of relief. "That's… good. That's good, I'm happy for you. How's, uh, Evan doing?"

Kate closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, causing her dark red curls to faintly sway. The amused smile never left her lips. "Ethan is fine. He just started high school. He's still playing baseball, too. He made the junior varsity team last year as an eighth grader."

Jeff winced at getting her son's name wrong. It had been six years, but he felt like he was only digging himself in deeper with this woman.

_As if remembering her son's name would have somehow made up for bailing on the two of them as soon as I found out about him…_ he thought bitterly.

"That's great and uh, well, it was good to see you, Kate. You look good. I have to get going though, I'm actually here with-"

"Yes," Kate said thoughtfully, "I saw you with your date. She looks… young. And speaking of dates, here comes mine now."

Jeff turned as he felt a hand clap down on his shoulder and for the second time in two minutes, felt frozen in place.

"…Dad?"

"Hey, there Jeff! You aren't tryin' to steal my girl are ya?"

Once again, Jeff's brain felt like it had been degaussed. "I… I was just…"

"Ah, relax, I'm just messing around. Kate and I saw you in the restaurant earlier. She wanted to go say hello, but I didn't want to disturb you."

Kate sauntered over and placed a light kiss on William Winger's cheek. "Well, I'll let you boys get caught up. I'll be outside, dear."

Father and son watched as Kate made her way out the front, her slim figure wrapped in a full length overcoat. Jeff could've sworn she was putting a little extra swing into her hips.

Jeff turned back to his father, his face a mixture of incredulity and disgust. "You're dating Kate? You know that she and I used to…"

William shrugged. "Sure, she told me about it. I figured it just means you have good taste. Not sure why you let her go though, she's a redhead that loves scotch and Die Hard."

"She's half your age!"

"Yeah, well, Willy Junior _finally_ moved out earlier this year, and I thought I'd have a little fun. It's not like it's serious or anything."

Jeff's anger flared. "_She_ seems to think it is!"

William shrugged again. "Ah, you know how women are. If you tell 'em it's a fling then they won't go along with it. You've gotta play the game. Besides, she's got a kid. I don't need _that_ again, that's for sure." He turned towards the restaurant and gestured in Annie's direction. "Anyway, I saw you with that sweet little thing in there. You know what the score is. Gotta catch 'em young before they learn all the tricks. Oh, now don't look at me like that. I used to think like you. Wanted to do the opposite of my old man and settle down the right way. But it's the same with all us Winger men; the wanderlust gets us sooner or later. Boy, I tell ya Jeff," William Winger chuckled and Jeff didn't think he'd ever heard anything more revolting. That is, until the next words he heard come out of his father's mouth, "You remind me so much of myself."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The key slid in easily enough, but the lock stuck for a moment as they often do when using a new key. Eventually it gave way and the door swung open, revealing Jeff's darkened apartment. Annie hadn't really expected it, but she had been hoping against hope to find him there. But the darkness instantly dashed what little hope she'd had.

She stepped into the apartment and flipped on the living room lights before closing the door softly behind her. Her eyes ran slowly over the room, taking in all the little details that reminded her so much of Jeff: the immaculate carpet, the absurdly expensive throw pillows, and the neatly folded blankets that were placed just so. He wasn't there, but his presence permeated the entire apartment and even that felt slightly comforting.

She hadn't known what to expect of Jeff by way of reaction to her news, and to say she was apprehensive about it would have been more than an understatement. She could see the blood drain out of his face as the realization had hit him, and then… Well, it hadn't been a complete surprise when he'd jumped up from the table and disappeared through the front door of the restaurant. Not a complete surprise, but certainly _not_ the reaction she'd hoped for. Her first thought was that he just needed to get some air and that once the initial shock had worn off, he'd return to talk things over with her. But the longer she'd sat there stirring her water, the more apparent it became that he wasn't coming back at all. At some point their waiter had approached the table to nervously inform her that the bill had been paid.

If she'd been in her normal mindset, she probably would've found it embarrassing to be left like that – to have to thank the waiter and ask if a tip had been left, and then walk out of the restaurant alone. But all she could really focus on was the need to find Jeff. She had his car keys so she figured he couldn't have gone far. But as she stepped out the front door, she noticed the doorman helping an elderly couple into a taxi. After it departed, Annie questioned the doorman who, to her dismay, confirmed that a man fitting Jeff's description had caught a cab approximately ten minutes earlier.

She'd already tried calling him a half dozen times, but his phone was going straight to voicemail. On two occasions she had left him messages, pleading with him to call her as soon as possible. The only other thing she could think to do was to head to his apartment, so that's what she'd done. Finding it dark wasn't a surprise, but her already frazzled nerves had taken another hit nonetheless.

She decided to stay, since this place offered her the best chance of getting to talk to him. He'd have to return sooner or later after all. She shed her coat and hung it up before limping over to the couch and sinking down tiredly onto it. The clock on the cable box read 8:32. She stared at it without moving until it read 8:36, her mind blank and feeling utterly powerless. Finally, she pulled out her phone and began tapping out text messages.

_Jeff, I know this is a shock, it was to me too. But nothing is certain and I really need to talk to you._

_I'm at your apartment. __**Please**__ come home so we can talk. Or at least let me know that you're ok._

Over the next few hours, Annie experienced a wide range of emotions: sadness, fear, anger, melancholy, resignation, despair… She thought about trying to watch TV or read, but she knew she'd be unable to focus on it, so mostly she just stared at her phone and prayed to hear the sound of a key in the lock. Periodically, the inaction became too much to bear and she'd type out another text.

_Where are you?_

_Are you ok? I'm worried about you._

_I miss you. I love you._

_Jeff I'm scared. Please don't leave me alone._

Sometime after midnight she found herself curled up in Jeff's usual spot on his bed. Her phone lay next to her, the infernal device still obstinately refusing to display any sort of message from Jeff.

This wasn't how she'd imagined spending her first night at Jeff's place after having been given a key.

He never returned, but if he had, Jeff would've had to endure the sound of Annie crying herself to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Come on, Annie, open the door!" Britta's muffled voice was accompanied by more insistent pounding.

Annie lifted the pillow off her face before mustering up what energy she could to shout back. "No, just please leave me alone!" It ended up being more of a whine than a shout.

The pounding on the door went from intermittent to constant. "My bed is literally ten feet from your door, I can do this all night!" Britta hollered over her relentless banging.

It had been just over a week since Britta had joined Annie and Abed in apartment 303, and aside from a kerfuffle over them receiving a subsidy from Britta's parents, things had been going pretty well. At the moment, however, Annie was regretting it.

The hammering on the door came to an abrupt halt.

Annie could only make out bits and pieces, but she could hear two voices arguing. After a few moments, a precise knock sounded on the door followed by Abed's voice. "Annie, I must insist that you and Britta resolve whatever issue there is between you. The new episode of Inspector Spacetime starts in ten minutes and I cannot allow a roommate disturbance to disrupt that."

"Abed! Annie's in some kind of a crisis, try to be more sensitive!"

"Why? Does this have something to do with her missing her period? I thought that-"

_**"WHAT?!"**_ The beating on the door resumed, harder than ever, and Annie began to worry that they'd get complaints from the neighbors. That or Britta would actually break her door down.

She reluctantly dragged herself out of bed, limped over to her door and undid the lock. The door flew open and Britta almost tackled Annie as she rushed into the room. She grabbed Annie by the arms and ushered her quickly over to the bed.

"Ok, now tell me everything!" Britta exclaimed breathlessly as they sat down on the bed. Annie glanced at the doorway where Abed was still standing, an uncertain look on his face. Britta followed her gaze and made a shooing motion at him. "It's ok, Abed, I've got this!"

Abed still dithered. "Are you sure? I've been working with Rachel on being more aware of my social responsibilities. Annie is my friend and if she needs someone to talk to then society dictates that ought to be more important to me than a TV show."

Despite her mood, Annie couldn't help but let out an "Aww!"

Britta hopped up from the bed and trotted over to take Abed's hand. "Abed, sweetie, don't worry. You're a good friend. But this is girl stuff. I promise we'll let you know if we need anything."

Abed looked over at Annie and she nodded. He turned back to Britta, nodded once, and then hobbled back towards his room. Britta closed the door behind her before rejoining Annie on the bed.

"Sooo? Tell me everything! When did you find out? Where's Jeff? Does he know? I mean, I have to kill him, obviously, but this is so exciting! Or is it? I guess you weren't planning on this, huh? Are you going to stay in school? Are you going to move in with Jeff? And what about your career? Don't feel pressured by the patriarchal hegemony to stay home barefoot and pregnant. You can always get daycare, or better yet, have _Jeff_ be the stay at home dad. I'd pay to see that. Oh, but I definitely still have to kill him. Too bad Shirley left or she'd help. Come on, I need details!"

Annie's eyes had gone wide by the end of Britta's bout of verbal diarrhea. Now she knew how Jeff felt. She decided to start off slowly.

"Well, um, I've been so busy lately that I didn't really notice it. But I am over a week late. And now that I think about it, I have been more tired than I would normally be and I've been having unusual bouts of nausea. It wasn't until last night when I was getting ready for my date with Jeff that Abed reminded me and it all sort of clicked. Oh, he's apparently still tracking our menstrual cycles, by the way."

Britta shuddered and mimed retching. "Eww! And now we're living in the same apartment?!"

Annie shrugged. "Yeah, it's gross. But he means well. Just be suspicious any time he offers you chocolate." Britta mimed retching again. "Anyway… I don't know for sure yet. I-"

"What do you mean you don't know for sure?"

Annie glanced around uncomfortably. "Well… I had to leave for my date with Jeff and I didn't really have time to do anything about it. And then I had class today and a project to finish. But I did have a doctor appointment this afternoon and I had them do a blood test. I get the results tomorrow."

Britta stared at her incredulously. "You didn't have time? You had class and a project? Annie, this is huge. This is something you _make_ time for. Home pregnancy tests are really accurate and they only take a couple minutes. I, um, well… I actually have one if you want to use it…"

"No! I can't! I don't want-" Annie stopped herself and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I just… I don't want to know yet."

"What?! Why not?"

"Well…" Annie hesitated. She wasn't sure she wanted to tell Britta about the situation with Jeff, especially since she'd already pledged to kill him. Of course, after the last twenty four hours, Annie wasn't entirely sure she'd want to stop Britta from doing just that. She didn't see a way out of it though, and Britta certainly wasn't likely to let the subject drop. "I guess… the longer I wait to find out, then the longer it doesn't have to be one or the other. And… well, I was hoping Jeff would be there with me when I found out for sure."

Britta wrinkled her nose. "Oh yeah. Where is that infuriating wad of directionless testosterone?"

Annie stared at her lap. "I don't know," she said quietly.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Britta asked suspiciously.

Annie opened her mouth to begin explaining what happened, but instead of words all that came out were sobs and before she knew it she was bawling uncontrollably. Somewhere along the way she felt Britta's arms wrap her in a hug and her head pulled down to rest on Britta's shoulder. When her sobbing finally began to subside, she tried to explain what had happened at dinner. But through the sniffles and coughs and whines, she wasn't sure how coherent she was being.

"I really am going to kill him," she heard Britta mutter under her breath. Apparently she'd gotten the gist of what Annie had been trying to tell her.

Annie raised her head and regarded Britta through red, puffy eyes. "Britta, what am I going to do? I know I usually seem like I have it all together, but I-" Annie fought down another sob, "I can't do this by myself!"

Britta reached down and took Annie's hand with both of hers. "Oh, sweetie, no. Don't think like that. Jeff is a lot of things, but… well, he really does love you, and I just can't see him abandoning you. Especially if you're pregnant."

"Then where is he? Why won't he answer me?" Annie's shoulders began shaking all over again.

Britta grimaced, clearly unfamiliar with playing the role of comforter. She tried rubbing Annie's hand reassuringly. "Annie… you know Jeff… he doesn't respond well to emotional shocks. Hell, I told him I loved him and his response was to go outside and French a nineteen year old girl."

Annie couldn't help but huff out a surprised laugh, her giggles mixing in equal parts with her whimpers. "Do you… do you remember when Pierce pretended to be his dad and Jeff chased down his car and made him crash?"

Britta grinned. "Or when he thought he was out of the study group and he attacked the table with a fire axe?"

Another bout of giggles racked Annie. It was strange how some things that seemed so serious at the time ended up being so funny when you looked back on them. All the pieces, all the memories, they all wove together to make up part of the tapestry of your life. And even though some of them had hurt at the time, Annie wouldn't have traded them for anything.

"My point is, Annie," Britta went on, "we've had more than our share of fights and arguments and whatever over the years. Jeff's had plenty of opportunities to bail on all of us, but, well… he always comes back in the end."

"You… you really think so?" Annie asked uncertainly.

"I know so. And hey, if he doesn't, then we'll call Shirley and get that detective guy she works for to find him and then the three of us will kill him for real," Britta said through a smirk.

Annie's lip trembled again, but instead of breaking down she spread her arms wide and waited for Britta to wrap her in another hug. For a few moments, her anxiety and despair had gotten the better of her, but deep down she knew that Britta was right about Jeff. And moreover, she knew that no matter what happened, she would never have to go it alone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day, Annie was feeling much more introspective as she sat in the waiting room of the doctor's office. Britta and Abed had offered to go with her, but she had declined as gently as she could. She was still holding out hope that Jeff would finally make an appearance and if he did, she didn't want any more drama then there was already likely to be. And if he didn't… then she'd have a chance to reflect on her feelings before having to share the news with anyone, regardless of what that news was. Because she found that she was much more conflicted about what she wanted than she thought she would be.

Annie had always wanted kids. Of that, she had no doubt. But there were things she had wanted to accomplish first, not to mention the planning and research she'd need to do. There were a million reasons why she should be hoping the test came back negative. Relationship reasons. Financial reasons. Career reasons. Jeff reasons. But at the same time, some of the best things that had ever happened to her had been spur of the moment with little to no planning involved. Deciding to go to Greendale. Moving in with Troy and Abed. Deciding to re-enroll at Greendale. Heading to Australia with Jeff. And even with his inopportune disappearing act, there was a part of her that very much wanted to have a family with him.

She knew she ought to be mad at him, but mostly she just felt sad that he wasn't there. Sad, and a little worried. Emotional shock or not, it had been almost two days without any sign of him. She'd checked by his apartment at lunchtime and he still hadn't been home. Maybe it was denial or maybe it was just her mind trying to protect itself, but she was certain she'd see him again soon. And she knew that what Britta had said was true. He really did love her. And for now, that was enough. Annie closed her eyes and could see him smiling at her. Those little looks he had always reserved just for her…

When she'd first met him, she thought it was just her imagination. Cool, good looking guys like Jeff had never paid any attention to her before that. But things had really started for her just before the pep rally, when Jeff had gone out of his way to try to make things up to her for pushing Troy towards football. Then he'd sat next to her, with his arm around her shoulder, and she'd told herself that it was just because he felt guilty about the way he'd acted. That had begun a long-standing pattern between them of Jeff doing something to upset her and then moving Heaven and Earth to make things right.

But it wasn't until that day in the study room that the idea ever entered her head that he might actually be _interested_ in her. It had all seemed so simple. All she did was let her hair down, but the way he had looked at her… it was as if he was seeing her for the first time. Then Shirley had popped in and given voice to the tension hanging in the air and neither of them had known what to do. By the next night, she had basically written it off as just a weird out of body experience caused by the power of Shirley's suggestion. But then… She hadn't planned to do it. The idea had never even occurred to her beforehand. Victory in the debate had seemed certain, but then Simmons had launched himself out of his wheelchair, Jeff caught him, and suddenly all the work they'd put in was about to be for nothing. Well, Annie Edison didn't work hard for nothing. She grabbed Jeff and kissed him, and the gym had gone silent – or maybe she just thought it had – and then Simmons was dropping to the floor, Jeff was turning towards her, his hands encircling her waist, and the force with which he'd kissed her back… The dazed look on his face afterwards had told her all she needed to know.

Still, there was a big difference between being interested in someone and actually wanting to pursue it. At that time, she hadn't yet let go of Troy and Jeff was preoccupied with alternately pursuing Britta and Professor Slater. Nevertheless, they remained in each other's orbit for the rest of the year, even throughout her relationship with Vaughn. She'd been sad when he told her he was transferring to Delaware, but then he'd shocked her by asking her to come along. Her first impulse had been to say yes. Vaughn was sweet and cute, he wrote dumb but sincere songs for her, and he was the first real (heterosexual) boyfriend she'd ever had. Also, it seemed like an adventure. And having a spontaneous adventure like that was something she'd always had on her list of things to do while in college. But she was already having second thoughts by the time the dance rolled around. Vaughn was sweet and cute, but he didn't challenge her intellectually. She couldn't envision herself ending up with him and if she moved across the country with him… it just made things a little too real. But the most difficult thing would have been leaving Greendale and the study group. Greendale was the first place she'd ever felt like she truly belonged, and that was mainly thanks to the six people who were already becoming like an extended family to her.

So when she pulled Jeff aside to tell him that she was transferring to Delaware, part of her was hoping he'd explain why it wouldn't work, tell her it was a stupid idea, or make some sort of inspirational speech to convince her to stay. And maybe, she was even hoping just a little that he'd give her a more personal reason to stay. Jeff had been unexpectedly supportive though, and the next thing she knew she was in the car with Vaughn, driving away. But they hadn't made it very far before she was ready to have a panic attack. She'd made him stop the car, and then explained all the reasons why she just couldn't go through with it, despite how much she cared about him. Well, all the reasons save one. Vaughn had taken it surprisingly well. He dropped her back at campus, they kissed goodbye, and then he'd driven to Delaware and out of her life.

Annie had wandered around campus for a while, reacquainting herself with the place she'd almost left. As she passed various buildings or landmarks, little memories from throughout the year kept popping into her head, and she knew she'd made the right decision. Eventually she was drawn to the library, and had headed towards the study room - the place that felt more like home than her ratty little apartment ever had. But before she had reached it, she saw him. The one reason for staying that she hadn't told Vaughn about.

"I thought you left."

There wasn't much more Annie could do than shrug. "I couldn't go."

"What happened?"

_I just couldn't leave this place. I just couldn't leave all of you._ "I guess as we were driving away, I finally started living in the moment. And I realized that, in the moment, Greendale is where I belong. What are you doing out here?"

"Oh, you know, Britta and Slater told me they loved me."

The rather surprising news had kicked her heart into overdrive. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"What did you do?"

"I ran away." Part of her had been disappointed in him. But part of her also felt sorry for him. It had been quite clear from the beginning that Jeff wasn't exactly the best at handling emotional situations, and she knew that if both Britta and Slater had told him they loved him, it couldn't have been pretty. "I don't know… it's hard. Slater makes me feel like I do when I write my New Year's resolutions. She makes me feel like the guy I want to be." Annie had almost gasped in surprise – he was actually opening up to her! "And Britta makes me feel like the guy I am three weeks after New Year's, when I'm back to hitting my snooze button and screening my mom's phone calls, back to who I really am. So, do you try to evolve? Or do you try to know what you are?"

At that point she really had felt sorry for him. For all the ways he tried to play the cool, invincible lawyer, he struggled with the same sorts of problems that all the rest of them did. He raised a good question too. One that she certainly didn't have the answer for. "I don't know. I wish I could live two lives. One of me could go with Vaughn, and one of me could stay here." It was as honest an answer as she could give. But something was bothering her, she just couldn't put a finger on-

"Yeah, one of me could be back with Slater, and the other could try it with Britta. And then we could all get together for some weird foursome."

Annie huffed out a laugh. She'd never seen this side of him before, all solemn and emotionally vulnerable. And yet even then he managed to maintain his sense of humor. It was part of what she-

"Um, I guess I've got to go… deal with it."

"Good luck!"

Jeff paused. "Um, I'm glad you're staying." Annie nodded. _He's your friend, of course he's glad you're staying. It doesn't mean-_

Jeff spread his arms and stepped towards her. She spread her arms and stepped forward as well. Her arms wrapped around his waist as his enveloped her, and her head laid gently against his shoulder. And then it hit her. _This_ was where she belonged. Her heart, which had already been beating quickly, redoubled its efforts. Jeff was about to go "deal with it." Which meant he was probably going to pick between Britta and Slater. And once he made that choice, who knew what would happen? She might never get to find out if-

They pulled apart, but instead of taking off for the cafeteria, Jeff just stood there and sighed contentedly. This was her chance. She started towards him, slowly, tentatively. Her eyes flicked down to his lips, then back up. He looked slightly confused, as if wondering whether what he thought was happening was actually happening. She expected him to turn away, to put his hands up, or tell her to stop. But he didn't. She went on her tiptoes and leaned forward and then their lips met. It was slightly stiff and awkward, it didn't last long, and for a moment Annie figured she'd just ruined everything. They separated, and Annie looked at him uncertainly, her face silently asking the question of whether she'd just done the worst thing possible. Jeff stood motionless, the dazed look had returned to his face, but there was something else there too. Desire. Craving.

He only remained still for a second, but it felt like the longest second of Annie's life. Then he practically lunged at her, his lips colliding with hers. His hands gripped her sides and hers came up to grip his arms, and then his arm slid around her, cupping the back of her head, pulling her closer as they sank deeper and deeper into the kiss.

All sorts of visions floated through Annie's head. Going home with him, kissing some more, and then making their way to his bedroom… Spending the summer with him, going shopping together and to the movies… Sophomore year, dating the coolest guy on campus, walking from class to class with his arm around her… Graduation, when she'd already have a successful job lined up, Jeff would return to being a lawyer, and he'd take her out for dinner where he'd hide the ring in her dessert…

But instead of all that, Jeff had broken away from her, stuttered some excuses and promised to call her. And before she knew it, she was standing by herself with just her bags. All summer she'd waited, but he only ever called once. It was about a week before the semester started and he said he wanted to talk about discretion…

She knew what she'd felt that night was real. She knew it. So when he'd acted ashamed, when he'd pushed her away, it hurt as much as anything she'd ever known. They could've been happy together. Why couldn't he see it too?

With the perspective she'd gained over the subsequent years, she'd come to realize that it was probably for the best. Both of them had had a lot of growing up to do. If they'd gotten together then, it likely would not have ended well. But that didn't mean she hadn't wanted it. It didn't mean it wasn't painful to have been dismissed like she was. Over the years there seemed to be no end to the ways in which he could confuse her, deny his feelings, or generally run her in circles. But she hadn't given up on him then, and she wouldn't give up on him now.

Annie stared longingly at her phone for several more minutes, willing it to display some sort of message from Jeff. But by the time a nurse came and called for her, it still hadn't made a peep. Annie stood and shook herself slightly, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Without another glance at her phone, she strode into the office alone to get the most important news of her life.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**A/N:** Kate is a reference to Intro to Felt Surrogacy, in case some of you are wondering where she came from.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: **This ended up being the most difficult chapter to write, not to mention the longest. I apologize for the length of time it has taken me. However, I really wanted to get this one right. I hope that, in your eyes dear reader, I did.

It was Monday night and Doreen Winger was finishing up taking out the trash for its regular Tuesday morning pickup. She tied up the final bag and dropped it into the can before replacing the lid. As she started towards her porch she noticed a tall figure shuffling towards her out of the shadows that shrouded the driveway. From the way the figure moved it was clear that the person was heavily intoxicated. She felt a spike of fear as she realized she wouldn't be able to reach her door before the unknown individual that was moving steadily in her direction. Drunk or not, she doubted she would be able to outrun those long legs.

"Stay back!" Doreen tried to project as much confidence as she could, but she could hear the waver in her voice nevertheless. "I've… I've got mace! I'll use it!"

The figure paused near the edge of the glow being cast by her porch light and began making an unusual sound. After a moment she realized it was a distorted laugh.

"Go ahead," a rough voice said. "Couldn't make me feel any worse."

Doreen felt the panic drain out of her. Rough and slurred it may have been, but she'd know that voice anywhere.

"Jeff?! What are you doing here? You sound drunk, are you ok? Why didn't you call first?"

Her son staggered forward into the light and Doreen felt her heart seize in her chest. She'd seen many looks on his face throughout the years; from joyful and excited to mischievous and conniving, and even heartbroken and miserable. But she'd never seen one to match this. He looked… broken.

"Lost my phone…" he half grumbled, half slurred, "dunno when."

"Jeff, honey, you look awful. What's wrong?"

"I…" Her son had yet to look her in the eye. When at last he did, his eyes were so haunted and empty that her maternal instincts took over and in an instant she had traversed the distance between them and wrapped him in a hug. For a moment his arms tentatively hugged her back, but quickly she found herself supporting more and more of his weight. Doreen Winger was not a small woman, but her son still dwarfed her. And soon it was all she could do to help him inside to his old room where she was eventually able to get him laid down on the guest bed.

He seemed fully unconscious by the time she had brought him a trash can (just in case) and a glass of water. She stood over him, wondering just what had put her son into such a dreadful state. The whys and wherefores would have to wait for morning. She bent to place the water on the night table, but as she turned to go she felt his hand catch her wrist.

She turned back to him, the light from the hallway lit half of his face and she could see one eye staring at her intently. She was amazed to discover that his face was lined with tears. She knelt next to the bed, and it was then that she got her first clue as to what had put him in this condition.

"I'm not him, am I?" his voice was raw, pleading.

"Who?" Doreen asked gently. "You're not who, dear?"

"Dad."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Jeff finally regained the capacity for self-awareness he made the determination that he had never felt worse in his entire life, and it had little to do with his prodigious hangover. He managed to prop himself up into a sitting position and spied the glass of water his mother had left him. He downed it along with a couple nearby ibuprofen, then sat in silence for a few minutes to gather his thoughts. He remembered arriving at his mother's house the night before, but he wasn't entirely sure how he had gotten there. He also didn't remember making the decision to go see her, but he had a pretty good idea as to what his thought process had been at the time.

There had been a finite number of things on his mind ever since Sunday night. Of course, with the amount of alcohol he'd consumed, there wasn't room for much of anything on his mind. But whatever cognitive functions he had at his disposal had been turned into a never ending merry-go-round: Annie – Baby – Kate – Dad – Annie – Baby – Kate – Dad – Annie – Baby – Kate – Dad – Annie – Baby – Kate – Dad.

Jeff had no confidence in his own ability to be a father. He didn't think he was ready for it and he didn't think he'd be good at it. But that wasn't what had led to him waking up in his old room. True, his initial panic had driven him outside, but his love for Annie had brought him back. He'd been ready to go to her. To tell her that he didn't know what the future held, but that he'd be there to face it with her. But the universe had different plans, it seemed. Just when he'd been about to proclaim himself the man he wished he was, the universe had spit Kate at him to remind him of his greatest failure. And as if that wasn't enough… No matter where Jeff was in his life, no matter how jaded or pessimistic he felt about love or marriage or family… the one thing he'd had always held onto, the one shred of hope he'd always maintained was that no matter where he ended up and with whom, he'd never turn into his father.

But the son of a bitch couldn't even let him have that, could he?

Part of the reason it hurt so much to see Kate was the stark reminder that he was capable of acting like his father. But after everything he'd been through at Greendale, everything he'd been through with Shirley, Abed, Britta, Troy, Pierce, Hickey, Duncan, even the Dean and Chang… and Annie. Especially Annie. He really believed that he had become a different person. A better person. Someone who just might be capable of being the man that Annie Edison deserved.

_"I used to think like you. Wanted to do the opposite of my old man and settle down the right way. But it's the same with all us Winger men; the wanderlust gets us sooner or later. Boy, I tell ya Jeff, you remind me so much of myself."_

Was he travelling down the same path William had once travelled with Doreen? Going in with the best intentions but inevitably ending with another broken family and another child pining for something his or her father was incapable of providing?

There were only two people that could help him to answer that question, and he had absolutely no desire to speak to one of them. So here he was, waking up with a hangover in the room he'd grown up in.

He could only imagine what his mother thought of his presence here. Showing up in a state like he had, he knew he was destined for one of her patented lectures, along with the usual questions about why he didn't visit or call more often. But she had information he needed. And he did feel a _little_ guilty about the infrequency of his visits…

Jeff pulled himself off the bed, his body rebelling against the concept of movement. He took a moment to steady himself, then stretched a few of his sorest muscles.

Time to go face the music.

His mother looked up from the magazine she was reading as he emerged from the hallway into the living room. Doreen had recently retired, but Jeff still wondered why she didn't move to a smaller house that required less upkeep. It was meticulously kept, however, which was a significant change from when Jeff was in high school and Doreen had been working extended hours to make ends meet. He hesitated at the end of the couch as his mother gave him an appraising look.

"I made breakfast," she said casually. "I put it in the fridge a while ago, but feel free to heat some up if you're hungry."

Jeff bobbed his head silently and shuffled into the kitchen. He didn't feel especially hungry, but he knew he needed to eat something. With all the drinking he'd done, he wasn't sure if he'd had any actual food in the past 24 hours.

In the refrigerator he encountered a pleasant surprise. His mom had made him an egg white omelet and a giant stack of her special apple pancakes that had always been his favorite growing up. _Maybe she's not mad at me after all,_ Jeff thought, then immediately winced as another thought occurred to him – _or maybe she's just smoothing things over before letting me have it…_

Jeff fixed himself a plate of food and popped it in the microwave. As he closed the microwave door he did a double take when he noticed the clock. It was already mid-afternoon.

Once his food was ready he grabbed some orange juice and returned to the living room. He sat down on the end of the couch near the recliner his mother was situated in and pulled the coffee table closer after setting his food on it. He lifted a forkful of omelet towards his mouth, but before it reached its destination he caught sight of the flat stare being directed his way. Jeff paused with the fork inches from his mouth, then contritely returned the coffee table to its original position and grabbed one of the folding TV tables to support his breakfast instead.

Doreen returned to flipping through her magazine as Jeff quietly chewed his food. After a few minutes of directing sidelong glances her way, he felt compelled to break the silence.

"So, uh, how's retirement treating you?"

Doreen glanced up at him, a brief look of incredulity flashing across her face before she shrugged. "I like it fine. It's a little boring sometimes but at least I have time to do my gardening now. It's a shame my son doesn't live around here or he'd be able to drop by once in a while to help me lift a few of the heavier things."

Jeff rolled his eyes. He knew _that_ was coming so at least they got it out of the way early. "Mom, I told you, if you need my help with something specific then let me know. I'm not going to just drop by randomly and say 'ok, put me to work.'"

His mother arched an eyebrow at him. "You mean that's not why you're here now?"

Jeff stared uncomfortably at his food. What little appetite he had seemed to shrivel up and die.

Doreen licked a finger and flipped another page in her magazine. "It's ok, Jeff. I know you'll tell me when you're ready." She tried to keep her tone light, but he could sense the undercurrent of concern in her voice.

He didn't know if he'd ever truly be ready. But he'd come all the way out here so he might as well do something about it. He picked up the TV table and set it aside, then turned back to face his mother. He found that Doreen had already set aside her magazine and was now leaning forward, giving Jeff her undivided attention.

"Um, I'm not really sure where to begin," Jeff said hesitantly.

A slight smile touched the corners of Doreen's lips. "How about at the beginning?"

Jeff huffed out a laugh. Apparently he hadn't gotten all of his sarcasm from his Dad's side of the family. "Alright, well, I've uh, I've been seeing someone." Doreen's eyebrows raised and she tilted her head slightly to the side. "You haven't met her, but um, I've probably mentioned her before. Her name is Annie."

"The young woman from your study group?" Doreen asked cautiously.

"Yeah. That's her. We've been together about two months. She went with me on that trip to Australia and, um, well we've been dating since then." A strange expression crossed his mother's face, but she motioned for him to continue. "Things have been going really great but, uh, we went out for dinner on Sunday and…" Jeff hesitated, unsure that he wanted to continue. But Pandora's Box had already been cracked open, and now there was no getting the lid closed again.

_Come on, Winger, it's like tearing off a band aid._

"You might be a grandmother soon," he blurted.

Doreen's eyes went as wide as he'd ever seen them. When she spoke, he could tell she was making an intensive effort not to smile too much, but only marginally succeeding. "Wow… that's uh, that's big news, Jeffrey. But what do you mean by _might_?"

Jeff shifted uncomfortably. "Well, Annie said that she missed her period, and that she'd been tired and having unusual fits of nausea. But she hadn't taken a pregnancy test."

"And that was Sunday night?" Jeff nodded and Doreen sighed. "Well now I understand why you showed up the way you did last night."

"No, Mom, you don't. Not all of it anyway."

A look of profound sadness came over her as she leaned forward and placed a hand on Jeff's wrist. "Yes, I do, Jeff. And no, you're not your father."

Jeff felt his stomach drop. Those were the exact words he wanted to hear, but it was going to take some convincing before he was ready to believe them. "How did you…?"

"You had a few things to say before you passed out last night, so I knew what was bothering you, I just didn't know why." Jeff now understood the reason for the apple pancakes. "But Jeff, honey, why would you think you'll end up doing the same things he did?"

Jeff felt the familiar feeling of shame wash over him. The one he felt anytime he thought about Kate. "Because I've done it before."

Doreen narrowed her eyes at him. "Explain…" she said slowly.

"Do you remember Kate?" His mother hummed in the affirmative. "I told you we broke up, but I never told you how." Jeff paused and took a deep breath. "We were starting to get serious, but then I found out she had a kid. His name is Ethan. He was eight at the time. I told Kate it didn't bother me, but it did. And then I promised Ethan I'd go to one of his baseball games," Jeff closed his eyes and hung his head, "but instead I bailed and never called her again."

Doreen sat back, a frown covering her face. Maybe now she understood who her son really was.

"Isn't that what Dad would've done?"

Doreen blew out a breath, then shook her head slowly. "Jeff, I'm not going to pretend that you should be proud of what you did. But there's a big difference between what you did and what your father did. First of all, your father never once felt bad about it. Second, and most importantly, Ethan is not _your_ child."

"But shouldn't I-"

"I wasn't finished," his mother cut him off. "Now I liked Kate. She was a sweet girl, but she bears some of the responsibility here too. The two of you were together for months and she apparently never mentioned that she had a son. That's an important bit of information. I'm not saying that it should've been the first words out of her mouth when she met you, but it's not something she should've kept hidden that long." Doreen leaned forward again and directed an earnest look his way. "Getting involved in a relationship with someone that already has children is a big decision. It works for some people and not for others. And just because it didn't work for you doesn't make you a bad person. You did owe her an explanation, though. But she also owed you that information sooner."

Jeff had never considered the idea that what happened with Kate was anything other than one hundred percent his fault. He still felt like a scumbag for not manning up and having a face-to-face conversation with her about it. He supposed he always would, and deservedly so. But for the first time in six years, the load felt just a little bit lighter.

"That was six years ago, though," his mother was saying. "Was that really the first thing that came to your mind when Annie told you she might be pregnant?"

"Not exactly…"

Doreen spread her hands expectantly.

"Well… the first thing that came to my mind was panic." Jeff gave his mother a rundown of the fears he'd been grappling with, including his worries over being a terrible father and being responsible for short circuiting Annie's path to stardom.

Doreen grimaced. "Look Jeff, it's only natural to be nervous about becoming a parent. I was. It's a significant responsibility, but the fact that you're nervous about it tells me that you'll treat it with the seriousness and respect that it requires. And as for how you'll fit it into your life or how Annie can still have the career you want for her, you'll find a way to make it work. It's a significant responsibility as I said, but it's not a death sentence." Her advice was straightforward and commonsense enough that Jeff wondered why he hadn't been able to see it himself. In fact, he was slightly amazed that she was able to refrain from any condescension. "Now all that said, I'm curious. What did Annie have to say about it?"

Jeff stared at the floor in silence.

"Didn't you tell her?"

More silence.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Jeffrey? How could you not tell her?!"

"I wanted to, ok?" Jeff snapped. "But I ran away. I'm a selfish coward and I ran away!" He stopped short and took a deep breath. "I was on my way back, though. I was going to tell her everything. But then _they_ were there."

"Who?" Doreen asked warily.

"Kate and Dad!" His mother recoiled in shock. "Kate is dating Dad. I can't even begin to tell you how fucked up that is. And he's going to screw her over just like I did!" Jeff could feel the impotent rage filling him again, along with the desire to find another bottle of scotch. "Then to top it all off, he told me that I reminded him of himself!" Jeff buried his face in his hands. "All I've ever wanted was to be different from him. Was that too much to ask?"

"Jeff," his mother said gently, "look at me." Jeff threw his hands down and collapsed back on the couch. When he finally directed his gaze her way, he could see the pain behind her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Jeff furrowed his brow in confusion. "What are you sorry for?"

Doreen swallowed thickly. "I knew your father leaving was hard on you, but I… I had no idea…" she paused and wiped away a tear. "Jeff, you have to believe me, though. You are not like him."

"He said he used to think like me," Jeff said in a hollow voice. "He said he wanted to do the opposite of grandpa. He said-"

"Jeff, do you love Annie?"

"Yes." He surprised himself with the conviction in his voice.

"I believe you. But it's not important what I believe." A fierce intensity filled her eyes. "What's important is that _you_ believe it. And that right there is the difference between you and your father."

Jeff frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Your father never loved me." Jeff felt his mouth fall open. "Oh, he may have thought he did, but what he really loved was the _idea_ of me." Doreen sighed. "It wasn't me or even you that was really important to him, it was getting back at his father. And in the end that just wasn't enough for him. I suppose you could say I knew better with William, but I was young and stupid and I had my own issues to deal with. I knew he'd leave eventually, so I guess I had made my peace with it long before it actually happened. I just wish I could've prepared you for it too…"

Jeff stared at her. There was a question burning in his mind that he'd always wanted to ask her, but had never had the courage. "Do you… hate him?"

Doreen's smiled wistfully at him. "Of course not. He gave me you."

It took a superhuman effort for Jeff to swallow the sudden lump in his throat. He tore his eyes away from her and aimlessly inspected his hands resting in his lap. "I… I was so scared I was just doing the same thing he did… that eventually I'd…" he trailed off, unable to bring himself to finish the thought.

"Do you know why I asked you if you love Annie?" Jeff looked up at his mother. She was wearing a smile that contained just a hint of mischief.

"I thought it was obvious, but I guess now you're going to tell me it was something else."

"I didn't ask because _I_ needed to know the answer. I asked to find out if _you_ knew the answer. I already knew." Doreen laughed softly to herself. "I've known it for a long time, actually."

Jeff gaped at her. "Wait, what?"

"A mother knows." Doreen's eyes twinkled as she regarded him. "You've been telling me about this study group of yours for over five years now. Maybe you and your friends didn't see it because you were all in it together, but when you tell the story it's impossible to hide what you feel for the people in it. Jeff, you should see the way your eyes light up when you talk about her. You should hear the way your voice sounds when you-" she paused and pressed a hand to her chest, clearly choking back tears. "You know," she said shakily, "for a long time I thought the two of you _were_ dating. If you don't mind my asking, what on Earth took you so long?"

"I've been hearing that question a lot lately," Jeff said ruefully. "I suppose I made excuses about her being too young, or too sentimental, or too into Zac Efron. But I guess when it comes down to it… I don't really have a good answer. Early on I think I just knew myself too well. And I respected her too much to subject her to that. But the last few years…" Jeff shook his head. "You get stuck, you know? And if my behavior since Sunday is any indication, I probably wasn't ready for it anyway."

"If I had any uncertainty about your love for Annie, your behavior since Sunday would've proven it beyond any doubt."

Jeff looked at his mother in surprise. "What? How does having a meltdown and getting drunk all while leaving my possibly pregnant girlfriend alone prove that I love her?"

"Jeff," Doreen eyed him with compassion, "there's no question you could've handled things better. But this all happened because you were terrified of losing her. You wouldn't react that strongly unless you were in love with her."

Jeff felt as though he ought to have more objections to offer, but for once he found himself fresh out of additional insecurities to be pessimistic about.

Doreen placed her hands on her knees and stood. "Now as much as I'd love for you to stay, I think it's past time you got out of here and started telling Annie all these things you've been telling me."

"If she's still willing to talk to me…" Jeff muttered as he pulled himself off the couch.

"I'll admit I don't know Annie, but from everything you've told me about her, I don't think you need to worry about that." Doreen spread her arms and Jeff stepped over to wrap her in a hug. "Jeff?" she said with the side of her face pressed against his shoulder.

"Yeah Mom?"

Doreen pulled back and looked him in the eye. "I don't know Annie. I'd like for that to change. Bring her by sometime, would you?"

"I will. And… thanks Mom."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jeff pulled into a parking spot and put his mother's car into park. He wasn't sure if Annie would be home, so his mom had lent him her car to prevent him from having to take a cab all over town. He had no clue what had become of his phone, but he didn't want to call anyway. This needed to be done in person.

He glanced up at the windows of apartment 303, wondering just what kind of mess he would find there. Jeff had spent the better part of his life running away from situations like this. But this was of his own making, and he was finally done running. He was desperate to see Annie again but simultaneously dreading it, knowing that he would see hurt in her eyes and that he was responsible for it.

Jeff climbed out of the car and made his way into the building. As he lumbered up the steps he'd climbed hundreds of times, he found every step a paradox – pushing him away and yet also pulling him inexorably onward. When at last he found himself facing the door, it took a titanic effort of willpower to force his fist to rap out a knock. He waited with a mixture of hesitancy and impatience, until at last he heard the click of the deadbolt. His stomach felt like he was in an uncontrolled freefall dive, but when the door finished swinging open it wasn't Annie he was facing.

"Abed… hey."

"Hi Jeff," Abed said in a clipped tone.

"Is uh, is Annie here?"

Abed had never been easy to read, but Jeff knew when he was being judged. After several moments of silent evaluation, he opened the door further and motioned for Jeff to enter. As he passed the threshold into the apartment, Jeff's eyes immediately locked onto the door to Annie's room. It was closed.

"Have a seat." Abed's voice from behind him was accompanied by the consecutive clicks of the door latch and deadbolt.

Jeff's eyes never left Annie's door as he moved steadily towards it. "Actually I really need to talk to-"

"She's not here."

Jeff froze only feet from Annie's door, his arm already part way lifted for a knock that would never come. He turned slowly to face Abed, who was limping his way across the living room. "Do you know where she is?"

"Yes."

Jeff wasn't in the mood to play games, but it wouldn't be fair to take it out on Abed. This situation was entirely his own fault. "Feel like sharing that information?" he asked as patiently as he could.

"I might," Abed said carefully as he lowered himself into his recliner and propped his foot up on the ottoman. "But before I do, there's something I need to know." Abed gestured towards Troy's old chair. "Please sit."

Jeff reluctantly dropped into the chair opposite Abed. "Ok," he sighed, "what is it?"

Abed's calculating look returned. "Jeff, are you Alvy Singer or Jerry Maguire?"

Jeff rolled his eyes. "I don't know who that first person is and am embarrassed that I do know the second one."

"Alvy Singer is the main character in the movie Annie Hall. Written, directed by and starring Woody Allen."

Jeff smirked at him. "Well, I'd rather be Tom Cruise than Woody Allen. But I don't understand what you're getting at here, Abed."

Abed shrugged. "Both are flawed characters, Jeff. Like you. But while one overcomes his fears and emotional distance, the other succumbs to his neurosis and ends up questioning how his relationship with a woman he had a unique connection with came to an end. In case the association isn't clear, the woman's name is Annie."

"Thanks," Jeff deadpanned, "I got that part." He leaned back in the chair and rubbed at his temples. "Abed, I know it gives you comfort to view everything through that meta lens of yours, but this is reality. You can't just shove life into the plot of a movie and expect things to play out the same way."

Abed eyed him and Jeff had the distinct feeling of once again being studied by a beige praying mantis. "I know that Jeff. I was attempting to use a comfortable metaphor to ask an uncomfortable question. A way of saying, what kind of person do you want to be?"

The question caught him off guard. What with all his childish obsessions with things like cartoons, Inspector Spacetime and Kickpuncher, sometimes it was easy for Jeff to forget how smart Abed was.

It didn't register with Jeff how long he'd been silent until Abed began speaking again. "Jeff, I know that the Dean told you about my plan to get you to reveal your feelings to Annie."

The remark startled him. It had been months since he thought about that, and seeing as how his feelings for Annie were now public knowledge, he didn't see the point in denying it. "How did you know that?"

"Because I told him to tell you." Jeff's eyebrows raised as Abed gazed at him coolly. "We were in on it the whole time. The idea was to make you think we were up to something so that you'd feel a sense of urgency to act, but without actually forcing you into anything."

"But then what about your movie?" Jeff blurted.

Abed seemed taken aback by the question. "That was a movie, Jeff. A good writer draws on what he knows and a good director knows his cast. I wrote the characters with you and Annie in mind because I wanted to get the most out of your performances." He shrugged. "It seemed to work."

"So… the kiss wasn't meant to make us…"

"A good director knows his cast. I knew that having the two of you kiss would yield the passion I needed." Abed arched an eyebrow. "You guys went a little overboard with it, though. No, the movie was just a movie, but if it happened to bring the two of you closer then I suppose that's a welcome side effect."

Jeff was stunned. He wanted to ask if Abed had any idea what that kiss had done to him, but his mouth was temporarily unable to form words.

"As I said, the plan was to give you an incentive to act on your own. But I couldn't do it by myself, so I enlisted the Dean to feed you false information. When I first asked him to help, I was surprised to learn that he already knew _how_ you had opened the door in Borchert's lab, but he had a rather strange idea as to _who_ had been the cause." Jeff was pretty sure he knew who the Dean had thought was responsible. Nevertheless, he was grudgingly impressed with the deception. Apparently Craig Pelton had learned how conspiracies work after all.

A side effect of not thinking about Abed's plot in months was that Jeff also hadn't thought about how irritated he'd been with him. Now that his shock was wearing off, the aggravation was beginning to return. He thought he should've been over it, especially given how things had turned out, but instead he found himself suddenly gritting his teeth. "Why would you do that? Why would you do any of that?"

Abed stared at him without blinking. "Jeff, as you know I don't have the best understanding of feelings. My own or anyone else's. That's why I appreciate the predictable structure of television and movies. If you understand the archetype of a character and the scenario they find themselves in, you can predict their response. You and I are both alike in that way. We want to be able to control everything because we fear the unknown. But real life rarely has the same structure. As much as we try to control it, there are too many variables we can't account for. It leaves us stuck with what's comfortable and afraid to take risks." Abed paused and finally blinked. He frowned in concentration for a moment before continuing. "I saw you doing the same thing with Annie, and for the first time in my life I felt like I was in a position to help someone emotionally. Because I've found something that I never expected. I am happy with Rachel. Being with her has improved my life in ways I can't even quantify. I wanted that happiness for you too. But not just for you, for Annie as well. And I know that you do make her happy."

"How do you know that?" Jeff asked almost by reflex.

"Because she's been making the best pancakes I've ever had," Abed said matter-of-factly. "I don't know everything that's happened between you and her over the last two days, but that happiness is still possible for both of you. But if you want to have your happily ever after, then you've got to fight for it. Every day. So I ask again, what kind of person do you want to be?"

Jeff stared at his friend in disbelief. For as much as Abed claimed not to understand feelings or be able to read social situations, when he got it right, he got it _right_. "I never really knew the kind of person I wanted to be," he found himself saying almost before he realized it. "I only knew the person I _didn't_ want to be. And Sunday I came face to face with that person and had to consider the possibility that I _was_ becoming my father. It scared me more than anything I can remember. Because I've also found something I never expected. I _do_ know the kind of person I want to be. And it's all because of her. The thought of not being able to live up to that was just too much to take."

Jeff fell silent, amazed at the ease with which the admission had come.

Abed studied him for several moments, then finally smiled. "I see. You're not Alvy Singer or Jerry Maguire. You're Aragorn." For once Jeff knew exactly where Abed was going with one of his movie references. "I would tell you that you can't let the fear of reliving the mistakes of your ancestors rule your life, but I think that's the reason you're here."

Jeff nodded resolutely.

"Good. Annie is at the Greendale health center getting the results of her pregnancy test."

Jeff was on his feet in a flash, his long legs carrying him quickly towards the door.

"Jeff!" Abed called out from behind him. Jeff turned and regarded him impatiently. "Put aside the ranger. Become who you were born to be."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jeff killed the engine and jumped out of the car as quickly as he could. Traffic had been infuriatingly slow, but he was franticly holding out hope that he might make it in time to be with Annie when she got the test results. It was one small chance for some redemption. He rushed through the parking lot, but came to an abrupt halt when he saw his car parked near the end of the row closest to the clinic.

Annie was still here.

Jeff hurried onward, but as he passed his car, he spied a familiar brown head of hair approaching up the walkway. Jeff felt a flash of relief at the sight of her, but also a sharp pang of despair that he hadn't made it in time. Annie was walking slowly, seemingly unaware of her surroundings, staring straight ahead with an unreadable expression on her face. She hadn't spotted him yet.

Jeff sidled over to his car, leaned against it and waited.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Annie felt like she was moving through a fog. She knew she had had an exchange with a nurse and a clerk on her way out, but none of it had seemed real. All she could hear was the doctor's words echoing in her mind. As she turned the final corner into the parking lot, the replay began again.

_"Good afternoon, Miss Edison. I have the results of your tests here. Everything looks good, you're in excellent physical condition. We're going to keep an eye on your blood pressure though, it's a little higher than at your last checkup, but still well within the normal boundaries. But I'm sure you're anxious to get the results of your other test. Is there… anyone joining you?"_

_"No."_

_"Alright, well as I said, I have the results. It looks like-"_

The fog surrounding Annie suddenly parted as she caught sight of the figure leaning against the Lexus. Her eyes focused on the face she'd been longing to see since Sunday night. His pose was casual, but Annie could sense his apprehension.

She'd played this scenario out in her head a thousand times. About what she'd do when she saw him again. Sometimes she was cordial, sometimes she was standoffish, and sometimes she demonstrated the best moves she'd learned in her karate class. But in the end, there wasn't really any decision to be made. There was only ever one thing she could do.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Annie stopped short when she finally saw him. She stood like a statue for what seemed like an eternity, her face still an unreadable mask. But then she was running towards him, and for a split second Jeff was worried that she meant to tackle him through his windshield. She slammed into him, but instead of flying bodies and shattering glass, he found the air being squeezed out of his lungs by the fiercest hug of his life. For a moment it was as if Jeff's arms didn't know what to do with themselves, but soon enough they were gently wrapping around Annie to return her hug. Her face had buried itself in his chest and he brought one hand up to cup the back of her head while the other softly rubbed her back. Jeff felt a stab of guilt when he heard the sniffles start and her shoulders began shaking. He closed his eyes and held her close, for as long as she needed.

At long last she stilled, and Jeff heard one last sniffle as she sucked in a breath and began to pull back from him. He released her from his grasp and she took a half step back, but before she had gone far her fist shot out and slugged him in the chest. Hard.

Annie glared up at him defiantly. "I'm mad at you."

It took Jeff a moment to catch his breath. "I know… I know, and you should be." He massaged the spot where her fist had struck him. "Hickey would approve of your aim…" The look on her face made it clear that she wasn't in the mood for jokes. "Ok, look, I deserved that. It's just that I- I'm not good with…" Jeff paused to take a deep breath. "Annie, I'm sorry." Her eyes flicked down briefly, then back up to meet his again. But her expression hadn't softened and her arms, which were folded across her chest, remained firmly in place. "Annie, please, I am so sorry, I- I should have been there."

"Yes. You should have," she said tersely.

"I tried to get here… as soon as I found out… but I-" Jeff stopped to regroup. There were a thousand things he wanted to tell her all at once and everything was getting jumbled in his head. "Look, I don't want this to sound like I'm making excuses; there's no excuse for what I did, ok? But I need to explain some things to you. Please?"

Annie considered for a moment, then nodded for him to continue. Jeff let out a small sigh of relief.

"My dad was at the restaurant on Sunday." Annie's eyes widened considerably at that. "When you told me that you might be… you know… I panicked. It was selfish and stupid, but after I cleared my head a little, I was on my way back. I was in the lobby; I was about to go to you, but then… Kate was there." A perplexed look crossed Annie's face and Jeff continued on reluctantly. "I dated Kate about six years ago and she… well… remember our confessions after we ate those berries in the woods?"

Annie's eyes darted around for a moment as she searched her memory. Suddenly her eyes snapped back to him and a small gasp escaped her lips.

"Yeah… believe me, it gets worse. Because no sooner do I see her than I met her date. My dad." Annie's eyes widened again, and a modicum of sympathy began to peek through her wounded veneer. "I'll spare you the gory details, but suffice it to say that he hasn't changed, and it won't end well between them." Jeff directed an earnest expression her way and his voice rose in pitch, as though pleading with her to understand. "But what really got me was when he said I reminded him of himself and compared his situation with my mom to my situation with you."

Annie flinched. For a brief moment it seemed like she was going to move towards him before she caught herself.

"I… Maybe a better person would've known what to do, but I didn't. You know about my… issues… with him, and the idea of becoming him and doing the same thing to you that he did to my mom and me, I- It was just too much for me to take. I'm sorry, I know that by leaving you there I was…" Jeff huffed out a rueful laugh. "Well, the irony isn't lost on me that my fear of becoming like my father led me to do something he would've done."

Annie stared at him silently, her face a paradox of conflicting emotions. Finally she spoke in a soft voice, "That was Sunday night. Where did you go, what did you do? And why didn't you call me?"

Jeff grimaced. "I don't remember where I went, but what I did was get drunk." Annie rolled her eyes and gave an annoyed huff. "I know… I know… It was the wrong answer but it was the only one I had. I lost track of all time, I think I slept somewhere at one point, but it's mostly just a blur. And I lost my phone. I get the feeling I'm not going to like the messages I have waiting for me if I ever get it back…"

"Britta helped me write a few last night." Annie smirked at him and Jeff had to stifle a groan. "Jeff," she went on slowly, "I'm sorry that you had to go through all that with Kate and your father. But I need you to understand what you put me through over the last two days." Jeff felt his chest tighten. He'd been dreading this part.

Annie appeared to gather herself before she continued. "First of all, I was worried sick about you. I stayed at your apartment Sunday night, then checked in again earlier today. I had no idea where you were and you weren't responding to any of my messages. I told myself over and over that you were ok, but the longer it went on, the louder that little voice in my head got that said 'what if something terrible happened?'"

She paused and looked down. When her eyes returned to meet his again he saw it. The pain he'd been dreading. He forced himself to continue meeting her gaze. "That's what had me worried. But what hurt the most was that you weren't there for me. I really needed you, and you left me by myself."

And there it was.

He knew full well what he had done and that it had hurt her, but hearing the words from her mouth felt as though someone had pressed a searing hot brand to his heart. "Annie… I know there's nothing I can say that will make it up to you. And I'll understand if it takes you a while to trust me again. But in my drunkenness I actually managed to do something smart. I went to see my mom and she helped me to learn a few things about myself. And I realized something important." Jeff hesitated and wetted his lips. "In all that time I spent worrying about one day leaving you because I had turned into my father, I never once considered doing it. The idea of being a father terrifies me. But not anywhere near as much as the idea of losing you. I can't promise you that I'll never freak out again, but I swear to you, I will never _ever_ abandon you."

Annie's eyes bored into him for several moments until eventually she glanced down again in contemplation. She nodded slightly to herself and raised her head. This time instead of pain, there was only a calm sincerity. "I think…" she said softly, "you should kiss me now or you might regret it for the rest of your life."

Jeff didn't need to be told twice. He stepped close to her, his right hand coming up to gently brush her hair aside. It lingered there briefly as he gazed down at Annie. Her big blue eyes gazed back at him, a melancholy smile touching the corners of her lips, and he found himself falling in love with her all over again. His hand settled on her shoulder as he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. The kiss was slow and unhurried, and while not entirely devoid of passion, it carried with it the promise of so much more. As their lips lingered against each other's, he found it difficult to remember why he'd fought against his feelings for her for so long. But in the end, he'd never really stood a chance, had he? She was just too easy to fall in love with.

Annie's eyes drifted open again after they separated and that loving expression he had come to depend on settled over her. "Let's make a deal, ok?"

Jeff narrowed his eyes at her. "What sort of deal?"

The corner of her mouth curved upward slowly. "If either of us ever need to freak out again, we do it together."

A low rumble began in Jeff's stomach and for the first time in days he allowed himself a genuine laugh. "Ok, deal. But only if we each get to freak out in our own ways. I can't scream with my whole body over a pen like you can."

Annie's eyes filled with mischief. "Agreed. Because if I'm going to stay up all night reading about something, it's going to be because I'm interested in it. Not because someone made a better clay ashtray than me."

They shared another laugh and Jeff finally began to feel like things were right with the world. But all too quickly, Annie turned serious again.

"So I um… I suppose I should tell you the news. I had the doctor do a blood test and-"

"Wait," Jeff cut in, "before you say anything else, I just… whatever happens… we'll figure it out. I know it's your decision, but please don't leave school. We can make it work. You can…" Jeff swallowed thickly, "you can move in with me. If- If you want to… that way we can take care of the baby together, and I'm sure my mom will help if we ask her. And… I'll go with you. For your internship, I mean. Most of the legal stuff here is paperwork anyway, and I can help out so you-"

"Jeff, I'm not pregnant."

Jeff's rambling came to a crashing halt as his tongue turned to stone in his mouth. When he finally succeeded in swallowing it, the stone settled in the pit of his stomach. "You're sure?" he managed.

Annie nodded.

"Then… what was…?"

Annie let out a long sigh. "The doctor thinks it's a combination of stress and a reaction to my pain medication. The nausea was almost certainly because of the medicine."

"Well," he said slowly, "I guess that's that then."

"Yeah."

"I feel like… I'm supposed to be happy about this." Jeff searched her eyes, but her normally animated and expressive mannerisms were muted and unreadable. "So how come all I feel is hollow inside?"

Annie's eyes softened and she looked at him with something approaching sympathy. "I… I feel the same way."

Neither of them seemed to know what to say next, so Jeff reached out and pulled her close, wrapping her in another hug. Her arms closed around his back in response and they clung to each other in silence. Annie was the first to break it. "I guess part of me really wanted this," she said into his chest. "So even though the rational part of me knows that this isn't the best time… it still hurts."

Jeff's breath caught in his throat. He knew that Annie had put her finger on exactly what he was feeling, but her words had a dual effect on him. First was a realization about himself. His thoughts on children had always been theoretical, but after facing the prospect firsthand there could be no more theory. Despite all his fear and doubt, there was a part of him that had absolutely, unequivocally, wanted this. The second was a realization about Annie. _She_ wanted it too. She'd always been candid about her desire to have children. And even the damaged part of his psyche had stopped doubting her when she told him that she loved him. But somehow he'd never connected the dots. Annie loved him. Annie wanted to have children. Annie wanted to have children _with him_.

The sudden epiphany stunned him so much that at first he didn't notice that she was pulling away from him. He had to fight the urge to grab her all over again.

"I'm sorry for putting us both through all this," she was saying, "maybe I should have-"

_No._

_No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no._

"Stop." Annie glanced up at him, slightly startled by the severity in his tone. "Annie, you do _not_ owe me an apology."

He could scarcely believe it; even after everything he had subjected her to over the past couple days, she had been ready to apologize to him. And something in the back recesses of his mind told him that this wasn't the first time this had happened. He searched his memory back through the years – to all the times he'd ignored or denied his feelings for her – to all the times he'd hurt her, whether intentionally or not – and yet… he'd hardly ever uttered the words "I'm sorry." In fact, more often than not it seemed like she was the one that ended up apologizing for something unnecessarily.

But more importantly, he'd never explained why he did it. Why he had denied everything for so long and why he'd pushed her away. He'd given her bits and pieces of the story, usually during his all-too-frequent meltdowns, but she'd never seen the whole picture. For the longest time he hadn't understood it himself, so how could she be expected to?

After everything she'd helped him through over the years and especially the last few months, he already owed her a debt he didn't think he'd ever be able to repay. It was time for him to start changing things.

There was something he had to do.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Annie had to fight the urge to apologize for her unnecessary apology, then had to fight to keep herself from giggling at the absurdity of feeling like she needed to apologize for apologizing. Jeff remained silent for several moments, and her initial surprise at his outburst faded into curiosity as she studied him. She could practically see the gears turning in his head, but wasn't precisely sure what he was preoccupied with. At last he seemed to make his mind up about whatever it was he'd been contemplating and he redirected his attention towards her.

"Hey," he said, "there's um, something I need to show you. I mean tell you. But not here. Take a walk with me?"

Annie grimaced. "Ok, but it's not too far is it? I tweaked my ankle when I ran at you earlier."

Jeff winced sympathetically. "Not too far."

Annie nodded and fell in beside him as they started back towards campus. He placed his arm around her as they strolled leisurely past the health center, then the cafeteria, until finally they arrived at the building housing Jeff's office. But when they entered, he only made a brief stop at his office to pick up a flashlight before leading her someplace else.

"What are we doing here?" Annie inquired as Jeff pushed open the door to a room she'd only ever entered once before.

"Just trust me." He smiled at her, but for some reason it seemed somewhat strained.

Annie arched an eyebrow quizzically as they crossed the threshold into the Greendale teacher's lounge. It was empty, save for themselves, and she found herself frowning as her eyes took in all the various party paraphernalia the Greendale faculty kept on hand. She also noticed a stark lack of anything related to teaching. A resigned sigh escaped her lips and she turned to inspect the hole in the wall that had been created by Hickey's pickaxe and the subsequent fire. It was plastered over, but remained unpainted.

Jeff had made a beeline for the corner of the room and had already pushed aside the vending machine and was now busy pulling up the carpet. It was readily apparent _what_ he was doing, but what she didn't understand was why.

"Jeff, why are you taking me down into the lost section of Greendale again? Borchert moved out all of his stuff, all that's left down there is junk."

"Not everything," he said cryptically as he pulled open the trapdoor, revealing a black pit that seemingly led to nowhere. A makeshift stairwell had been installed to make it easier for Borchert to extract his belongings, and Jeff descended into the gloom. Annie sighed and pulled her phone out, activating the flashlight app before gingerly picking her way down the wobbly wooden steps.

Jeff took her hand to help her as she neared the bottom of the stairs, then intertwined his fingers with hers as they cautiously made their way through the debris littering the old hallways. The first time they'd come down here none of them had had any clue what to expect, but now with just the two of them the lost section of Greendale seemed even eerier than before. But Jeff's flashlight and her brave little phone light cut a swath through the darkness, and before long they had reached the entrance to Borchert's old lab.

Annie scowled at the memory of Jeff and Britta acting all lovey-dovey over the prospect of Greendale being sold and their impending nuptials, though fortunately it was dark enough that Jeff didn't notice. The jukebox door was left standing open and as they passed through it, Annie felt a wave of déjà vu hit her. Borchert's personal effects, and of course Raquel, had been removed, but most of the old banks of computers had been left behind, being over forty years old and long since obsolete.

Raquel had controlled most of the lights, but Jeff made a quick circuit of the room to turn on the ones he could. When he finished, the strongest feeling of déjà vu yet hit Annie. The room looked and felt just like it had after Richie stuck the pickle magnet on Raquel, trapping them inside. Despite some of the less than pleasant aspects of their first visit, a smile was slowly spreading across Annie's face. This was, after all, the place where they had found the means to save Greendale once and for all.

Annie gave herself a shake to dispel the memories and turned to face Jeff. His eyes were darkly intent, made all the more so by the dim lighting. The gaze he was directing at her was one that up until a few months ago would have likely seen her reduced to a puddle of incoherent goo. As it was, she still felt her knees wobble.

"So, um… why are we down here?" she asked with just a hint of flutter in her voice.

Jeff took a couple slow steps towards her until they were standing only a few feet apart. "I love you." His voice was barely more than a whisper.

Annie couldn't help but break into a wide smile. "I love you too. But we didn't need to come all the way down here for you to tell me that."

"Not for that, no. But there's more." He seemed oddly hesitant, as though there was something he needed to do, but didn't know how to do it.

"Ok…" Annie said slowly, "well whatever it is, you can tell me."

Something was still holding him back. "I know."

Annie smirked at him. "You're not going to turn into a serial killer on me now are you?"

Jeff huffed out a laugh and finally seemed to relax a little. "That wasn't my first plan. But who knows, maybe I'm the ass crack bandit and I've lured you into my cracking lair."

Annie felt a rush of guilt mixed with anxiety, and forced out a strained laugh. Fortunately, Jeff seemed too focused on his own discomfort to notice hers.

"No, I'm just… struggling with how to say what I need to say. I don't want to Winger-speech this, it's too important." He paused and took a deep breath. "I guess I feel like I haven't always been fair with you." Annie crinkled her forehead and looked at him curiously. "When I was a lawyer back before Greendale I never cared about fairness. I was a winner and winners didn't worry about what was fair. But this place… all you guys… and especially you… it's like you showed me how to be human again. I know I acted like I was happy back then, but the truth of it is that I was miserable. I just couldn't admit it to myself."

Annie wasn't sure what she had expected to come out of him bringing her down here, but it certainly wasn't this.

"But now… I don't think I've ever been happier than these last two months with you." Annie let out an excited little squeak as a feeling of giddiness washed over her and she found herself nodding almost compulsively. Jeff wetted his lips before continuing, "You know, I never thought I'd say this to anyone, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Annie felt the sudden need to lean against a nearby table for support. "I know it's too soon to be talking about marriage or anything like that, but I wanted you to know how I feel."

Annie had certainly been feeling these things too. True they'd only been dating for two months, but it's not like they'd been starting from square one. Annie had long felt that _if_ they ever got together, it wouldn't be something trivial. And over the past two months all the indications she'd gotten from Jeff were that he was committed to building something lasting between them. And yet… to hear him come right out and say it was nothing short of astonishing. Not to mention the fact that Mr. "It's so obvious to me that marriage is dumb that I can't even pretend to get behind it" had brought up the idea of marriage before Annie "Every time I see a wedding idea I like, I put it in a little scrapbook" Edison. The odds makers in Las Vegas would've had a field day with that one.

"Look, I love you, and I want this to work between us. So… there are things that I need try to make right. You once told me that apologies are opportunities to admit your own mistakes. And I've done some things I'm not proud of."

"Jeff," Annie was still feeling a bit lightheaded as a result of his proclamation, but had recovered to the point where she could speak, "we don't need to rehash the last few days again, it's-"

"That's not what I mean," Jeff interrupted. "I'm talking about everything else."

Annie's eyes widened and she almost gasped in surprise. She thought she knew what he was getting at, she just never thought that he'd-

"I never answered your question. In the bathroom that day. But the answer is yes, I do want you. I wanted you then and I want you now. I just didn't know how to tell you. You were so young and innocent and optimistic and I was so-" Jeff's eyes searched the ceiling for right words, "-the opposite of that. A lot of people – hell, just about everyone – have been asking me why I didn't do something sooner. I think part of it was that I knew my history with women and I just didn't trust myself enough to treat you the way that you deserved."

Annie stared at him, her mouth hanging part way open, once again stunned into silence. Over the past two months she'd seen signs from him; signs that he was making progress with being able to open up to her, but this was unlike anything she'd ever seen or expected.

"But it wasn't just that... Look Annie, I'm a mess. You must have noticed by now. For the longest time I couldn't-" Jeff fell silent and squeezed his eyes shut. He looked to be struggling internally with himself, as though the last vestiges of his old self were making their final stand. Annie had the urge to run over and hug him, but something told her that this was a battle he had to fight on his own. When his eyes finally drifted open again, they had a clarity of feeling she'd never seen in them before.

"I spent most of my childhood wanting only one thing," he murmured, "and it was the one thing I couldn't have. When I finally realized that I couldn't have it, I shut that part of myself down. I told myself that love and happiness were a lie because I knew I'd never get to have them. So I started chasing empty things instead. But I never really wanted any of it, it was just something to do, a way to convince myself that there was some sort of meaning in my life." Annie's heart was breaking for him, yet she was still surprised by the new and more open Jeff. But any surprise she felt was nothing compared to what came next. "Then I met you, and everything changed. For the first time since I was a kid I knew exactly what I wanted. But I had convinced myself that I didn't deserve it, that it wasn't real. So I made excuses. I chased an empty relationship with Britta, I pushed you away… But you… you just refused to let me. I have loved you from the moment I met you. I'm just sorry that it took me five years to realize it. I don't understand why you stuck around, why you put up with me, why you… waited. I just know that I'd be lost without you." Annie's heart felt like it was about to explode. Tears were running freely down her cheeks and it was everything she could do to keep from sobbing uncontrollably. "It was you, you know." Jeff gestured around the dank, gloomy ruin and realization slowly began to set in for Annie. Jeff must have seen it on her face, because he nodded gravely. "Yes. I thought about you. I thought about you and my love for you literally opened a door, and I was still too much of a coward to tell you. And if Troy hadn't almost blown himself up and dragged us halfway around the world, who knows when I would have. I don't deserve you, Annie Edison, but for some reason you seem to love me anyway. I just needed to tell you… everything. To finally tell you… and ask your forgiveness for all the things I've done."

Annie huffed out a laugh that was at least half a sob. "Forgiveness?" she asked incredulously, "I already forgave you a long time ago."

Just when she thought Jeff couldn't surprise her anymore, tears began trickling down the sides of his face. "Why…? How…?" he choked out.

"It wasn't always easy…" she managed, "but you were worth forgiving." Annie wiped away a tear and tried to put on an air of levity. "Anyway, you know what they say. Forgive and forget, right?"

Jeff locked eyes with her, and Annie saw in them everything she'd ever dared hope for or dream of, and she knew with a certainty she had never before experienced that she would love this man for the rest of her life. When he spoke, it was with a determination that made it clear beyond any doubt that the same was true for him.

"I won't forget. Not ever."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

*THE END*

**A/N: **So here we are, at the end of a journey that has lasted for over 15 months and ballooned to over 133,000 words in total. You can't imagine how difficult it was for me to mark this as completed. Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to read my humble story and indulge me in this not-so-little project. I appreciate your tolerance for my verbosity and I hope that this has brought you some measure of enjoyment, as it has for me. I may return to this little AU of mine from time to time to write some epilogues, but for now I will be moving on to other projects.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not give a special thank you to those of you that have taken the time to leave comments and feedback in support of my fragile ego. And a special, _special_ _**special**_ thanks to those of you who did so on a regular basis. Cheers!


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